training circle trouble attracting fighters-ideas?

[quietanswer]

A lot of guys here have some sort of school/practice group/fight club they have started or help start. I'm looking at starting something similar here in Saint Louis, but haven't had much luck attracting fighters.

any hints or tips? anything you guys have tried that helped a lot? or didn't?

[Groin Grab]

I skate half pipes and stuff so I just talked to a couple of guys I know at the half pipe I usually go to skate on and asked them if they wanted to learn some street oriented combat training. I told them about my training and that I was looking for some guys I could kick ass with. After I stuck a motor cycle helmet on one of my friends over there and told him to take his best shot at me and blasted him across the ramp a few times he was like hell yea I want to learn this. I started training with them every day trying to teach them every thing I know. I did it for free but it was totally worth the investment because now I have three training partners to experiment train drills, spar with get on the mat and roll around or what ever all the time because I can usally only afford to go to class once or twice a week it's great to have other guys to train and practice what I learn with for the rest of the week. I've been working with these three guys for about six months and they've brought tons of guys over to the ramp like even some wrestlers, and boxers to train with and stuff some of them have been idiots and some haven't.

[thekuntawman]

do not limit yourself to just jkd men or fma men, go join a boxing gym, fight in a couple of tournaments. you'll find fighters that way. it might take you a couple of time. not too many people will go to a stranger who says "i am looking for people to fight with." but if they see you around and they know what your about, it will be easier.

and dont underestimate the karate men or boxers they can give you a very good fight.

or you can always train some friends and spar with them. i can always find partners if you put me in a city, in three or four months i'll have friends to play with.

[Evilution]

You could try putting up some flyers around town. Another good thing is to hold classes in public, like in a park or something. Anyone truly interested who sees it will probably come up and ask what the deal is. I've found it to be good publicity, believe me, people STARE when they see people kicking the crap out of each other for fun.

Be warned though, often times there are people at the parks with kids (a lot of the parks have playgrounds) and they tend to not be too fond of the whole violence thing in front of their kids. Use your own judgement when practicing in public.

[quietanswer]

I appreciate those ideas.
Thanks.

[Twisted up]

Go to boxing clubs and join a local AAU wrestling club. They'll give you a run for your money and will help develop your attributes.

In return, you'll get to know them and can eventually form friendships. That's what these fight clubs should be about anyway.

These clubs are about helping each other and should have no "figure-head" / authority figure. Just train!

I see things happening this way more and more in the future.

If you need a place to train otherwise, find a recreation center and talk to the people there. Be honest and tell them what you are trying to accomplish.

Above all, be persistent!


Good luck.

John

[quietanswer]

I agree about not having figure heads. I think it gets in the way of the training. I think of 'teachers' more as 'training partners' than anything else. The only way I would at all head the club is in making sure that a welcome environment is maintained for all peoples, making sure noone goes mad-ass on someone in an un-agreed to fashion while sparring, making sure noone tries to take over the group and convert it into a "strictly my-way" place for him to train, etc. I'm certain to push for aliveness in the drills, and certain aspects that I think are fight applicable, but what the club does is up to the club, in my view.

So long as everyone can be responsible adults, and play nicely, I guess.

[Twisted up]

Agreed quietanswer!


Not allowing anyone to go "mad-ass" is a good idea

I think that you should make it a genuine club with certain guidelines for conduct. Have everyone abide by the rules and you should have no problem.

It might also be a good idea to have a (sort-of) board of directors. I'm not talking about a rank and file system. But, this would provide some diversity--as long as everyone is generally on the same page.

I am currently working on a club in the Winston-Salem, NC area. I've been doing this a while and finally have enough sense (I believe) to do it right.

Of course, I use as a guide the "Functional JKD" program of the Straight Blast Gym. Therefore, I don't need a figurehead for direction. The program itself is the direction.


However the problem I am facing is, my partner's background is based in karate. TRADITIONAL KARATE (Complete with kata and board breaking, etc., etc..) MY background is JKD, wrestling, muay Thai and BJJ.

See my problem? (I know you're thinking, "Why are you partnered with this guy---because he is paying the lease on our facility!!!)

Obviously we are NOT on the same page at all! He likes PRETEND martial arts (as do so many traditionalists) whereas I prefer full contact, aliveness, etc..

This is what I mean about everyone being on the same page! This is a MUST! Take it from me and my experiences!!!!

If everyone like-minded, you should have few problems!

Good luck!

[Chad W. Getz]

Twisted up, does your friend ever think about modifying or testing his own karate? I found that the way I had to get some people to start thinking about how they were training, and making that more efective before introducing new material. (For example, moving around and shooting a quick eye jab and than low shuffle kick, isn't exactly what you would find a karate man doing, and would be considered "new" material for him) I try to show the relevance of what they are doing to how it could work in a real situation, and then I start working out with them and slowly start making it more probable by simplifying, etc., etc. Of course, there are somethings that you just can't work with, but I've had some good luck with this approach as well.

[Twisted up]

Chad:

I know where you're coming from and that's the best approach.

I'm not trying to tell him that he's wrong in his approach or anything, the problem that I have is in getting them to train with harder contact and to embrace combat "sport" arts (wrestling, jiu-jitsu, etc..)

I tried to explain (without seeming like a no-it-all) that having a "street approach" is great, as long as you back up your tactics with sportive training (to develop attributes).

It seems as if they only want to "pretend" train. When they do "fight", it's always like a game of tag. I know we've all experienced that before, but there is a point where actual hard contact develops things that otherwise CAN'T be developed.

Like the Dog Brothers saying: "Higher Consciousness through Harder Contact"......there is just something about that kind of training where you realize that if you screw up, the shot you're going to be hit with is the real thing! It gives you a newfound respect for the OTHER guy and creates a "warrior humility".

He certainly lacks that. It's just kind of hard to relate to him. However I will say that when he DOES see some street applications of things that I do, he really enjoys it.

That's our link...



Good training everyone!


John

[Bad Karma]

You have to address the very thing that holds people back from full contact or hard contact. It's not the contact; it's the fear of being hurt. The secondary factor is the fear hurting someone else.

Address these two issues and once they are comfortable with being hit and hitting (you have to take baby steps for some), it'll be good training from there. I've noticed that most people need assurances that it will stop when the need it to.

Your first and primary task should be teaching 'how" to train. This sounds silly, but it's something few take the time to do. It's not a slug fest! There to learn and not be beat down ~ LOL! Your friend may be lacking in confidence or something.

I am from a traditional Karate background and have no reservations of hard contact training. My catch phrase is "It builds character!" amongst the bloody noses and such.

Peace