My Mama Told Me...You Better Shop Around

[Chris McKinley]

How many different styles/arts/systems/types of fighting have you tested your fighting skills against in a medium-to-full-contact format? What were your results? What lessons did you learn? Which lesson was most unanticipated?

[BruceP]

How many different styles/arts/systems/types of fighting have you tested your fighting skills against in a medium-to-full-contact format?

Boxing/tuffman, MMA, bjj/sub-wrestling tourneys, judo a few times at different schools. We're talking strictly sportive stuff here, right?

What were your results?

The testing was in different areas of empthyhand so the ideas and methods being tested varied. In terms of overall effectiveness of the tactical methods and the ideas behind them, the results were mixed (50/50 maybe). But that was expected from the start. The 'configuration' of the methods being tested were bare-bones and somewhat sterile in terms of the mental/emotional component. A different motivation and all that.

What lessons did you learn?

1)-The hypothesis was spot on; Training and competing to win is counter-productive to the research

2)-Combat athletes are eager to accomodate tai chi players who want to test their learning

3)-Tai chi players are averse to the prospect of losing face in a sportive arena

Which lesson was most unanticipated?

The tjq world wasn't ready. Really??? While the views of most every tjq player are the same insofar as tjq being a well-rounded method of h2h fighting, there's no direction or will among teachers to have their young students test the training for themselves. I've heard every argument and excuse under the sun. There are a few teachers who force ownership of the principles and methods on their students, but that most essential concept is derided and shouted down by the majority of tjq folks who teach.

I was naive in thinking I'd find others with the same interests. The teachers I'd met never once discouraged any of the research I was doing and were very supportive with their instruction and other input, but at the same time they couldn't care less how it all shook out. They were indifferent to the result but very much in favor of the effort.

[Juan]

Since I joined the MT gym I've been lucky enough to spar with Karate guys, MT guys, kung fu guys, and TKD guys. One thing that really surprised me was the TKD guy. I used to talk a whole lot of shit about TKD; how it sucks, it's not effective, etc, etc. Well, let me tell you, once you meet a good TKD practicioner things will change. I got to spar with a guy who was an alternate for last summer's olympic TKD team for the US. Holy shit was he fast and holy shit could he kick hard. He almost knocked my ass out with a round kick that I didn't see coming. After that sparring match, I will never ever talk shit about TKD again.

[C.J.Wang]

Since I joined the MT gym I've been lucky enough to spar with Karate guys, MT guys, kung fu guys, and TKD guys. One thing that really surprised me was the TKD guy. I used to talk a whole lot of shit about TKD; how it sucks, it's not effective, etc, etc. Well, let me tell you, once you meet a good TKD practicioner things will change. I got to spar with a guy who was an alternate for last summer's olympic TKD team for the US. Holy shit was he fast and holy shit could he kick hard. He almost knocked my ass out with a round kick that I didn't see coming. After that sparring match, I will never ever talk shit about TKD again.

TKD has a bad reputation in the U.S. due to the fact that there are too many self-proclaimed 8th degree blackbelts teaching the watered-down version of the art at your local strip mall dojangs.

Check out video footage of North Korean government bodyguards practicing TKD and you'll realize that old-school TKD is no joke.

[DeusTrismegistus]

To be honest I haven't done much of that. But that is one of the reasons I want to get out and compete. Luckily I am still young and spry. I have played around with friends who do other stuff. We also have had quite afew people who were experienced in other systems before coming to our school and the sparring is always interesting.

[Wanderingdragon]

I have learned that in playing, which is what I consider sparring, it is best to practice not getting hit. This is not to say practicing defense, it is simply not hitting upon your opportunities, as long as you know how not to get hit or how to evade takedowns,and other forms of offense, you are learning control, control of your own center and more importantly control of your opponent . Once you have mastered this skill your offense is always at your will.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

How many different styles/arts/systems/types of fighting have you tested your fighting skills against in a medium-to-full-contact format? What were your results? What lessons did you learn? Which lesson was most unanticipated?

Boxing - fought amateur juvenile boxing for almost 4 years. Boxing is boxing. I did better than some, worst than some and well enough to know that boxing is a decent set of fighting skills when it comes to using the hands for striking. I learned to keep my hands up and how to shield properly against typical incoming boxing attacks. Unanticipated was the rapidity with which a person becomes gassed when in an actual conflict compared to training scenarios where you don't become gassed.

mma- medium contact all ranges. where do i begin? lol my results were that after 15 years of dedicated training in traditional chinese martial arts, I need to tune those up severley in order to compensate for all the holes i was leaving open trying to maintain stylistic form.

...more later