question for mike brewer

[EmptyneSs]

mike, i had a question for u. in your career of being a bouncer and working security, how important would u say cardio skills are in real situations? are fights usually over as quick as they say? will u be so hyped up that it wont matter as much, or should it really be a huge priority for real life situations cause u gas out faster? i train for self defense, but i have yet to be in any real fights since i have been training so i dont know. one of my instructors told me that ultimately it will be the techniques that will pull me through more than anything. do u agree with this?

other people with experience are welcome to reply as well.

[Demi Barbito]

Techs never stop violence or win fights, people do. techs are operator dependent. You must formulate the intentions, you must make the muscles move, you must operate under body alarm condition etc...

Combat athletics, cardio and strength training, in addition to the "training methods of your fighting" are extremely important.

There is good tech and bad tech. Hopfully you're using good tech (best options - high probabilty tactics). But it is "you" who have to make them work.

Demi

[PFSofPA]

Having bounced for nearly four years in a major night club I can tell you that cardio is only important in getting to the situation, but not in the actual altercation. If you're training in martial arts why would you not train cardio to enhance your overall performance? Fights last no more than 10-15 seconds which can seem like an eternity. Adrenaline is the key component to overcome in these situations. Adreneline can slow down motor skills considerably, but if you train in adrenal based scenarios you can recognize and work within these limitations. That is why it is so important to train gross motor skills instead of complex and involved techniques.

Jim Winterbottom
http://www.noquarterjkd.com/

[Maxx]

My personal opinion is that cadiovascular training is a highly important component of your training. There are lots of elements to consider. Generally a fight lasting 10-15 seconds is going to push you into the anaerobic range, particularly if it is an intense fight. Certain types of cardio can help extend your anaerobic threshhold so that you won't tire as quickly as others.

Second, since you train specifically for self defense you must realize that the #1 rule of self defense is "Get the f--k out of there. It's one thing to be at a party or something and have to restrain a friend or someone else who has had a little too much to drink and gets belligerent. From my experiences, altercations rarely occur between two people who know each other. It generally occurs with at least one person you don't know well and generally in an environment that you are unfamiliar with. Best advice: run like hell, especially if there's more of them. Cardio training will make it more likely that you will be able to outrun someone wishing to do you harm.

[Sensei Saki]

Oops. I wasn't paying attention. Tell me again what is going on.

[gabbah]

Sensei Saki, are those real?

[gabbah]

Mike, about staying relaxed while fighting... That has been my first goal in kickboxing matches. To stay relaxed no matter how hard the pressure is from the other guy. To be able to think, and to not let the adrenaline drain you of energy. To stay relaxed when you are defending as well as when you are attacking.
I must say I've had great deal of success in this mental part of the game, and I think it's a very important one.
I didn't want to just start flaying my arms and letting aggression take over, as I think this will hinder my development. I want to develop crisp, clean and powerful techniques that I can use in a relaxed manner, not tensing my whole body.
So I think having this goal in mind really helps you getting there faster.