Developing skill

[danfaggella]

I have become increasingly interested in martial arts. So far, that has included mainly submission grappling and sparring with gloves and a mouthpiece. I do place value on such "sparring" forms of training, but I have wanted to get into some traditional chinese stuff. I do calisthenics and I try to read as much as possible. However, I'm looking for some ways to develope skills by myself in my spare time in the dorm. I do some balance exercises I read about in "Long Fist Kung Fu", and I am getting very good at those chinse balls that make noise when they hit each other. I spin them both ways with both hands and I do little tricks in between my fingers. I want to get more involved and develope reaction time or fast punching ect...

any advise is appreciated!

thanks

[shaolin-warrior]

Look into shaolin kempo....If you want explosively fast destructive techniques.
The best part is, we go to the ground as well. chin'na, grappling, submission

[jubaji]

I am getting very good at those chinse balls that make noise when they hit each other. I spin them both ways with both hands and I do little tricks in between my fingers.

That's great and all, but don't expect that to make you a great fighter!

[bbbb]

It's all about conditioning...............

I have become increasingly interested in martial arts. So far, that has included mainly submission grappling and sparring with gloves and a mouthpiece. I do place value on such "sparring" forms of training, but I have wanted to get into some traditional chinese stuff. I do calisthenics and I try to read as much as possible. However, I'm looking for some ways to develope skills by myself in my spare time in the dorm. I do some balance exercises I read about in "Long Fist Kung Fu", and I am getting very good at those chinse balls that make noise when they hit each other. I spin them both ways with both hands and I do little tricks in between my fingers. I want to get more involved and develope reaction time or fast punching ect...

any advise is appreciated!

thanks

So, in the end- you have to ask yourself what sort of person you want to be... Different people do different thing's. Some people are tough0's- but what does that really mean.

Chinese martial art's/korean-TMA teaches concept's and excellent skill's but doesn't give you the fitness that combat sport's will...or other.

What do you want. How do you wish to live-your-life?!

O.K. Do boxing....ahhhhhhhhhhh but how much boxing do you really want to do!?

A boxer(..and just what is "A BOXER??!") should have much better conditioning than a CMArtist. So what are you gonna do with your new boxing skill's- your not gonna take out the higher belt level's of any grade of Kung Fu/Tae Kwon Do or other. {Unless you really are keen}!

Remember- "It's about the confidence to walk away!". Not picking victim's...not that you sound that way.

So-"..if it make's you happy(confident)- then it can't be that bad". Though there is something to be said for false confidence...so choose your own path.

[Drunken Munky]

Chinese martial art's/korean-TMA teaches concept's and excellent skill's but doesn't give you the fitness that combat sport's will...or other.

Really. I think that CMA does give you concepts and excellent skills. I also think that it give you superior fitness over combat sport(at any good CMA school). For an example, my target number of punches and kicks a day are at least 3000 punchs and at least 1000 kicks per day. And that requires a great deal of fitness, because on top of that I am also aiming to practice my forms, stance training, foot work, bag work, sparring, breathing, techniques, stretching etc.... And even on top of that, I am advised to increase my fitness level. Since the first part of any self defence is good health.

A boxer(..and just what is "A BOXER??!") should have much better conditioning than a CMArtist.

If you are talking about conditioning, being that to resist impacts and blows to the body. I again think CMA, is superior here as well. It has Chi Gong, which conditions your body to withstant blows, and impacts. Not in a esoteric sense, but that Chi Gong trains you core muscle, and develops good stability, which enables you to take a lot more. Furthermore in CMA, from my experienced, you have lots of pain tolerance exercises, to increase you pain threshold. You have sparring (no pads) to get used to being punches etc..., to learn how to take hits, to toughen you physically and mentally, to teach you not to be afraid of getting hurt. Etc...etc...

[jubaji]

- your not gonna take out the higher belt level's of any grade of Kung Fu/Tae Kwon Do or other.

Why not?

[danfaggella]

because boxing isn't a complete art, or not as close to completeness as most CMA. He didn't say ALL BOXERS LOOSE TO ALL CMAists, he stated that is unlikely that those 2 hands are going to overcome a martial artist with totally rounded ability. He stated that if you are keen you can obviously win, which is true, anything can happen, he didnt state it was an impossibility just a logical probabilitiy.

This whole "tring to get into TMA" thing IS to "see what kind of a person I want to be". This is testing the waters.

Right now, I am looking for some kind of way to train outside of a gym, alone in the dorm. I wonder if some TiChi exercises from a book would give me some benefits of TMA, or if there are some kind of exersises I can do alone to increase my hand speed or reaction time or something, I want recomendations for things I can do alone to test some TMA from people who practice the stuff. I plan to get into it more soon, going train with some TMA guys ASAP up in Warwick, but I like to use my alone time productively, please help me out!

thanks

[jubaji]

soloist?

to see what kind of a person I want to be I am looking for some kind of way to train alone in the dorm to increase my hand speed, I want things I can do alone. I plan to get into it more soon, I like to use my alone time productively, please help me out!

thanks

..................................careful kid, you'll go blind that way

[bbbb]

Well...I s'pose..

[...even on top of that, I am advised to increase my fitness level. Since the first part of any self defence is good health.]



.. I mean that a boxing gym has the stench of sweat, more-so than a Kung Fu class.

But, that's not even talking about the conditioning of ,"da head". Fair enough- if you aint training for the ring,then you would call that class," boxing for self-defence". This would be closer to a Kung Fu class whereby you would be more liable to a "False Confidence" aswell.

I'm not saying that boxing aint worthwhile...just...what a price to pay for learning how to REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY defend yourself.

[Sagacious Lu]

I mean that a boxing gym has the stench of sweat, more-so than a Kung Fu class.

So far all you've told us in this thread is that you've never visited, much less trained at, a good kung fu school.

[danfaggella]

cmon dont make this another argument thread.

can you please just try to answer my thread, or throw some legitimate and constructive comments my way?

gracias

[Hardball]

I have become increasingly interested in martial arts. So far, that has included mainly submission grappling and sparring with gloves and a mouthpiece. I do place value on such "sparring" forms of training, but I have wanted to get into some traditional chinese stuff. I do calisthenics and I try to read as much as possible. However, I'm looking for some ways to develope skills by myself in my spare time in the dorm. I do some balance exercises I read about in "Long Fist Kung Fu", and I am getting very good at those chinse balls that make noise when they hit each other. I spin them both ways with both hands and I do little tricks in between my fingers. I want to get more involved and develope reaction time or fast punching ect...

any advise is appreciated!

thanks

Just a footnote: Check your college syllabus and see if they offer any martial arts as electives. Also, as your skills grow; so does your courage.

[Sagacious Lu]

I have become increasingly interested in martial arts. So far, that has included mainly submission grappling and sparring with gloves and a mouthpiece. I do place value on such "sparring" forms of training, but I have wanted to get into some traditional chinese stuff. I do calisthenics and I try to read as much as possible. However, I'm looking for some ways to develope skills by myself in my spare time in the dorm. I do some balance exercises I read about in "Long Fist Kung Fu", and I am getting very good at those chinse balls that make noise when they hit each other. I spin them both ways with both hands and I do little tricks in between my fingers. I want to get more involved and develope reaction time or fast punching ect...

any advise is appreciated!

thanks

I'm not completely sure what you're asking for here. At my school the first thing a new student learns are the traditional stances followed by twelve basic drills. If you want to practice traditional kung fu drills IMHO it is a very bad idea to try to learn from a book or tape. You need an instructor to check you and make sure you haven't misunderstood some important detail. Not only could you build bad habits that will defeat the purpose of the exercise, you could put unnecessary stress on your joints and possibly injure yourself. If you can't take regular classes you could probably find a teacher to show you some drills in a private lesson or two. Then you could be sure that you were doing them properly. If you want to build hand speed you should spend time shadow boxing. If you want to build power hit a heavy bag. Again, if you've never been taught to throw a punch or kick you should make it a point to learn the right way rather than training yourself to do something sloppy. I hope this helps.

[Drunken Munky]

.. I mean that a boxing gym has the stench of sweat, more-so than a Kung Fu class.

But, that's not even talking about the conditioning of ,"da head". Fair enough- if you aint training for the ring,then you would call that class," boxing for self-defence". This would be closer to a Kung Fu class whereby you would be more liable to a "False Confidence" aswell.

I'm not saying that boxing aint worthwhile...just...what a price to pay for learning how to REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY defend yourself.

Firsty, I don't tend to go about sniffing different clubs, so I have no idea which smells worse. If a club did stink of sweat, I would advise opening a window. What I think you are getting at is, that boxers tend to train harder or more than Chinese Martial Artists. From my experience I doubt it in a 'good' CMA club.

Secondly, CMA do get head conditioning, again IMO. I learn, to take blows to the head, by getting punched in the head. This is also to help me stop the tendency to try and move my head out of the way, which dirsupts my centre of gravity (It would be better, if I used my feet to move my head out of the way and keep my posture, then lean back to avoid a punch. This won't happen if I am worried about being hit in the head.)

Kung Fu School = False Confidence.......really ????

Thirdly, you seems to imply to me that boxing is learning to "REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY" defend yourselve, and CMA isn't. Well thats your opinion, and I have nothing against it.



To danfaggella: I would suggest that you spend a lot of time increasing your flexability. Speed comes from strength and flexability. Also you are less likely to injure your self if you are flexible. Lots of people, have bad stances as they sink lower than there flexibility allows, you can see this by them having to lean forward to compensate.

I would also suggest that you train your stance, even if its just one. To strength then your legs, increase your mental endurance,and help you resist the temptation to flinch if you were attacked.

Eat Healthily, and improve your stamina, and practice moving your waist. Not your hips.

[danfaggella]

Thanks, fellows. I'm trying to pick up some 5 animals from this kid i know who practices it, he I plan to meet his trainer asap. Also, I do shadow box, and when I can I hit the heavy bag. My hands are much stronger now that I have torn them a few times, and My wrist is more accustom to the jolt of impact, which is cool. I also hang a sweat shirt and "hit" it like a bag, though I dont try to power throwgh it, just snap at it with my jab/cross/hooks. And yea, I know a bit about throwing a punch, I feel confident in my understanding of the basic boxing ones. I have read 2/3 books on boxing and asked my MT teacher about about how my form looks. I'm working on it.

Good idea with the stance thing as well, do you think its alright to practice my wrestling stance as well? I'm sure it works muscles just like my higher striking stance.