johnwang wrote:marvin8 wrote:why practice moves that only work if someone is not moving around?
If your opponent moves around, he is using the "fire" strategy. You should use the "water" strategy, let your opponent comes toward you, borrow his force, and counter him. In CMA, there are 5 major strategies "metal", "wood", "water", "fire", "earth". How you may fight depends on which strategy that your opponent may use to against you.
For example, if your opponent is a defensive and counter fighter and wait for you to come in by using the "water" strategy, you then should use "earth" strategy by moving in inch by inch until you can establish your leg bridge and arm bridge. This way since you are moving in slow (inch and inch), it will be difficult for him to borrow your force.
It's not about something working or not, it's like John says, it's about when and how. Or to do what strategy to apply in what circumstance. ... To use J.W.'s fine terminology, most sport fighting strategy is "fire" strategy. But fire needs to build up. You can put out fire by pouring water on it. If you don't let the fire start, you can put out the sparkles with a less amount of water. This is not theory. In a real fight, it's better to have the mind-set to put out the fire as soon as possible. It's not advisable to take any chances, because you don't know how the fire will spread.
But sure, there are other ways, you can also put out fire with earth. And you can overcome a little fire by pouring a vast more fire on him.A couple of examples... If you look at the early UFC, the Gracies just went in as soon as the fight started with a shoot. They did it again, and again, and again, taking down fighter after fighter. Or look at Mike Tyson, his fire strategy is to go in with as much punches as possible as soon as possible, not letting his opponent having an opportunity to breath or think, eating his way in with punches. There are plenty of other real life examples of how to make the different strategies work.
johnwang wrote:Trick wrote:In todays martial art/sport community, imagine telleng an aspiring pugilist about the importance of the strategies of the five elements, four gates/doors and so on to become a skilled fighter or just to learn self defence, i think they would soon hurry away to the mma gym next door.
Too much theory and not enough theory are 2 extremes. I wasn't interested in theory when I was young. One day I competed in a Karate tournament. My opponent stayed in a low stance with strong defense, and moved in inch by inch. I didn't see any opening to attack so I moved back, soon I had moved outside of the ring boundary. After I had moved out of the ring boundary twice, I lose that fight. I then asked my teacher and got involved with the 5 elements theory. When my opponent used the "earth" strategy, I should used the "wood" strategy. My arms and legs should function as the tree branches and attack my opponent from long range. Theory (or strategy) can offer idea how to deal with any particular situation by using our ancestor's experience/knowledge.
+1
Very well explained.
IMHO, strategy is far from being only theory. Theory is not only thinking. Theory is an explanation model of something practical. Theory is explanation on how to do something, like how to act, when to act etc.
If someone doesn't understand how to apply theory practically, IMO, the fault might be within him, maybe he doesn't have enough experience to understand it in a practical manner. But sure, we can have different ways of explaining things and put more emphasise on different things. Just because we have different kinds of experience, IMHO, it's better to listen to someone else and try to understand their view as well as to why they say something, than to disregard or neglect him or her. A person might just try to communicate their own experience, to share, discuss and to learn more from others.
... sometimes I do mistakes like this ...
... But I like to listen to what other people has to say, share my own humble words, trying to get better to put my thoughts into words... although I have a very little experience in many different things compared to some people here.... I have no idea what I am trying to say now, I'm just rambling I guess. F-ck it, must go back and work. Later maybe...