Bagua Vs Mantis Drunken Fist Sparring

[williamwilson666]

OK, I will admit I haven't the faintest idea what to make of this. I'm somewhere between impressed and thoroughly bemused. They certainly seem skilled- though I'm not wholly certain it's at fighting! Nevertheless, I thought I'd post it for the sake of curisosity, and any CMA sparring- staged or not- that doesn't just look like kickboxing is of interest to me. Here goes:

[GrahamB]

That was teh DeAdlY!

One question though - are they blind? For the first 30 seconds they didn't seem able to locate each other....

[williamwilson666]

Well it is quite dark!

[GrahamB]

I see they have so far failed to open the Bagua third eye of perception....

[taiwandeutscher]

Comments make me giggle!
Funny bunch!

[Overlord]

You guys are all wrong, one is just plan drunk and the other one is trying to find mantis on his back or try to perform ballet mantis lake in the end! oops, I think I am bit drunk now.

[SunLutang06]

Graham dont you know when fighting you first have to make your deadly chiiiiiiiiiiiiiii to come out otherwise it isn internal

[Andy_S]

Very stylistic, and clearly these guys have trained stuff, but one has to ask the question: Would anything either of them did halt a determined attacker?

Frankly, I suspect "No."

That is the problem with sparring-focussed training. Too much time spent on moving in and out, working on timing and distancing and technique....not enough time spent on the really decisive, in-close moves. I was surprised to see (on the recent Discovery channel prog) that even KravMaga is moving in this direction.

[cloudz]

i didn't see anything i'd call sparring.

[DeusTrismegistus]

Very amusing, not very effecive but very amusing.

[GrahamB]

Graham dont you know when fighting you first have to make your deadly chiiiiiiiiiiiiiii to come out otherwise it isn internal

Hmmm... My skills must be low-level. I seem to prefer making contact with the opponent with my punches rather than thin air.... I need to improve, obviously

Incidentally, I believe round 2 featured Mix fighting himself in a two-faced-boy haircut stand off - rather similar to Jet Li in The One. It's quite impressive.

[chrislomas]

Andy S:

That is the problem with sparring-focussed training. Too much time spent on moving in and out, working on timing and distancing and technique....not enough time spent on the really decisive, in-close moves.

This is very true. A tap tap approach is easily fostered and not so easily got rid of.