OMG- Staff fighting with Paul Whitrod

[mixjourneyman]

That second video.... Holy crap!!!!!!

Agreed. Ribs, anyone?

Dave C.

Looks like he took it in the spine too!

[jarvis]

I know there's a clip of him taking someone out with a groin shot too! The sticks aren't padded in these clips but he does do some padded work with the students. He's one of those teachers that doesn't just teach weapons for show, understanding the application is serious for him. I took some guys to do a xing yi spear seminar with him & his explanantion of a technique used for cutting the achilles left them feeling unsettled!
Oh & having him come at you with a jian is a barrel of laughs...

phil

[Andy_S]

SNIP
It's just that if you are sparring (and want to get something out of it) you really can't have teh fear now can you?
SNIP

I would argue the opposite.

Fear management is a - I would say THE - critical skill in fighting. It is more important than timing, strength, speed, technique or, indeed, any other attribute.

If you have an instructor who can teach this in a gradiated manner, you are privileged, indeed.

[yusuf]

..PAul will always fix you up after breaking you ...

in fact he sometime breaks me up after fixing me.. and i'm not even his student

[Wanderingdragon]

SNIP
It's just that if you are sparring (and want to get something out of it) you really can't have teh fear now can you?
SNIP

I would argue the opposite.

Fear management is a - I would say THE - critical skill in fighting. It is more important than timing, strength, speed, technique or, indeed, any other attribute.

If you have an instructor who can teach this in a gradiated manner, you are privileged, indeed.

Agreed, properly managed, fear does keep your eyes open.
Remember, not paralyzing fear, but eyes wide open cat like fear

[Andy_S]

SNIP
Agreed, properly managed, fear does keep your eyes open.
Remember, not paralyzing fear, but eyes wide open cat like fear
SNIP

Bullshit.

Fear - and overcoming it. Or not.

Yusuf:

Who ARE you a student of?

[Wanderingdragon]

SNIP
Agreed, properly managed, fear does keep your eyes open.
Remember, not paralyzing fear, but eyes wide open cat like fear
SNIP

Bullshit.

Fear - and overcoming it. Or not.

Yusuf:

Who ARE you a student of?

[Wanderingdragon]

A lion runs head on to attack the water buffalo and pounces on his neck, no fear huh? until she notices she has both horns stuck in her gut as the buffalo tosses her wounded to die and become food for the scavengers. 250lb man throws a mighty hook at the little lady to grab her and have his way, no fearhuh? until he feels the blade slicing upward after her straight thrust. In both cases the prey feared for their life and came out survivors because they did not freeze. Even the mightiest predator stalks carefully, this controlled fear.

[Andy_S]

WanderingDragon:

I am not talking about predators...I am talking about predatees. And mastering the fear thereof

That's it.

[Wanderingdragon]

In the above the fear is what gave the pradatees the wherewithall to fight and survive

[Andy_S]

WanderingDragon:

Yes, but fear and fear response has to be learned. In human genetic wiring, two "unlearned" approaches to intense fear are:
Freezing motionless
Fouling yourself

There are good reasons for this. Back in our pre-human pre-history, some predators eyes' only detected movement. Other predators would not eat you if you stank of shite. So these responses were, at one point, functional. However, neither is suited to the modern, human world.

This is why having a teacher who occassionally frightens the life out of you AND MAKES YOU REACT APPROPRIATELY is teaching you a very, very valuable lesson.

What I am talking about has nothing to do predators attacking on National Geographic channel or urban legends about old ladies knife fighters.

[Wanderingdragon]

WanderingDragon:

Yes, but fear and fear response has to be learned. In human genetic wiring, two "unlearned" approaches to intense fear are:
Freezing motionless
Fouling yourself

There are good reasons for this. Back in our pre-human pre-history, some predators eyes' only detected movement. Other predators would not eat you if you stank of shite. So these responses were, at one point, functional. However, neither is suited to the modern, human world.

This is why having a teacher who occassionally frightens the life out of you AND MAKES YOU REACT APPROPRIATELY is teaching you a very, very valuable lesson.

What I am talking about has nothing to do predators attacking on National Geographic channel or urban legends about old ladies knife fighters.

No argument here, I think you are agreeing with my statement "fear properly managed" , the examples I used were simply to show the proper management of fear, and I was thinking more of a young hot Chick with a blade, not a little old lady, not that a little old lady wouldn't try to survive too, and I wouldn't call someone juggin' someone in the gut, in a moment of shear terror, a knife fighter.

[edededed]

Looks a bit more like sword than staff to me?

[Qin'sEmporium]

I think I would be afraid of a spinning dwarf from East London whipping his (unpadded, by the looks of it) kalari stick at me....

He leads with his front leg, and always keeps his stance wide. The front leg should be the target area - shin, foot knee, etc.

[yusuf]

I think I would be afraid of a spinning dwarf from East London whipping his (unpadded, by the looks of it) kalari stick at me....

He leads with his front leg, and always keeps his stance wide. The front leg should be the target area - shin, foot knee, etc.

lol..it's one of the tricks in Kalari.. give your front leg as a target and that leaves the opponent open when he tries to strike it