Could you beat Mike Tyson ?
|
Many people who have no understanding of martial arts or fighting have often asked me the following questions
1) How would you fight a man with a gun ? The answer to 1 is that I would not. Projectile weapons such as guns, crossbows etc fire projectiles far faster than a human can possibly move. The movies give an unrealistic representation due to the fact that no bullets are actually fired at the hero. Jacky Chan’s disarming techniques only work because the assailant is stupid enough to be within contact range , when the weapon is obviously designed to be used at a distance where it would be impossible to use such techniques. |
Martial Arts were not designed to withstand bullets and blades but to train the body and mind in the methods and tactics of armed and unarmed combat. If I knew I had to fight a person armed with a gun then I would obtain the necessary kevlar armour and better weaponry to be able to fight. If however an armed robber wanted my wallet I would give it to him, as I can always get more money if I am still alive and a wise man takes no unnecessary risks when his life is on the line.
The second question makes the assumption that you will fight in the style of the opponent. Would I be able to beat Mike Tyson at boxing – the answer is obviously no. He was the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion for a very good reason – in his prime he was unbeatable. It was possible not to lose against him if you adopted a defensive strategy and had a reach advantage, and that is a victory of sorts . However being shorter, lighter, less powerful, and not a world class boxer I would stand no chance if I adhered to the rules of boxing. However I am not a boxer I am an exponent of Taijiquan in which we avoid the opponents strengths and attack his weakness. Thus I would not try to box him I would be continually attacking his legs with low kicks to the nerve centres of the thighs, knees and ankles. Boxers do not train to deal with this sort of attack and so would be susceptible.
Some would say that this would be cheating but in a fight all is fair as he can do the same to me. The real question is would this tactic work against Mike Tyson ? It is possible that he is so tough that he could withstand these attacks and come blasting through with his deadly combinations. This can only be proven with a real contest. The wise man picks his fights wisely. Given the choice I would not fight Mike Tyson but If I had to then I would give it my best shot. In the end the better man and better tactics will win on the day.
Skill alone is not enough to win a fight. Strength and resilience can often overcome skill. Martial spirit or the will to win also often overcomes skill. Martial Spirit coupled with strength and resilience is a formidable opponent but when coupled with skill becomes a worthy adversary – and so the outcome is uncertain.
January 24, 2010 at 1:10 am | Musings | No comment
Learning Taijiquan
Learning Taijiquan is very difficult because the essence of the action cannot be seen. All techniques have an external appearance and this is what is visible to the the third party observer however any technique may be performed in different ways which will be apparent to the victim of the technique but will look identical to the external third party observer.
Taijiquan is in this sense an internal martial art, because the how a technique is applied is more important than the actual technique itself. It is often said that there are no techniques in Taijiquan, there is just a method. However to learn the method one must learn techniques, and then how to use these techniques to minimise the use of force and maximise the effect of the action by the harmonious interaction with the opponent.
In another sense there is one technique, which encompasses the method. One learns form to be able to move to formlessness. One learns techniques to be able to move beyond technique. However even though the technique is not apparent the form remains , yet it has been transformed into something unrecognisable to the external observer. The form and techniques have been internalised to an extent that the what is seen is not what it is.
To truly understand it is necessary to be able to feel. To understand by touch. To be able to detect and observe motion by sight and feel. To be able to gauge the amount of force and the force vector itself.
How can one learn this? There is only one way – by trial and error. This entails making many mistakes and getting hit a lot. Without this investment in pain there can be no success. No pain no gain. Invest in Loss as the classics say.
January 16, 2010 at 12:09 am | Musings | No comment
Teaching Taijiquan
Teaching Taijiquan is very difficult because very few people have the dedication and patience required to master its subtleties. It is not possible to train harder to become softer and more sensitive. Learning to relax in the manner required of a true Taijiquan practitioner requires understanding as to what it means to be relaxed. Only someone who has mastered that particular skill can tell you or show you if you have attained this level of understanding.
Other martial arts are much easier to learn you can train harder by yourself to become , stronger, faster , more flexible , more resilient, increase stamina , striking and kicking ability although the same problem stands that it is impossible to learn how to fight without actually fighting.
To be able to fight it is first necessary to have a basic prowess in attack and defence. The majority of people do not possess these basic fighting skills and require instruction. Many think they do not need to learn these things and just want to learn “the good stuff”. However without a firm grounding in the fundamentals “the good stuff” just will not work.
So I teach the fundamentals, how to punch, how to kick , how to move , how to avoid, how to close in, how to defend and how to attack.
I teach the Taijiquan hand form to teach posture, coordination, balance and the basic application movement templates that will be used in the self-defence applications and eventually in free fighting.
January 10, 2010 at 11:27 pm | Musings | No comment
Pads
| Striking Pads are another essential training aid that no gym can be without. The Focus pads are used to train punching accuracy and focus. Beginners normally punch at the pad and not through the pad, thus scraping their knuckles on the surface as they do not strike the pads cleanly. Often their wrists are not aligned and could cause damage if striking a bag, these issues can be corrected using the pad before any bagwork is undertaken. |
Over the years I have used a variety of pads for different purposes. Due to the fact that they can be moved into different positions they can be used to train reactions and the ability to strike a moving target.
Larger , denser pads are required for kick training due to the greater striking weight of a kick and the larger striking area of the knee, shin, foot .
| ||
|
 
|
|
October 26, 2009 at 1:51 pm | Training | No comment
Gloves
Boxing Gloves
For the purposes of training I use 16oz gloves. The heavier weight forces the relaxation of the shoulders to be able to keep the hands up over many rounds. They also provide more padding and cushion the contact impact to the hands. As they are larger it is harder to find gaps to strike with and hence better timing and accuracy are required.
12oz gloves are used for competition, as they are lighter and smaller and produce a harder impact when striking. Most modern gloves use velcro to fasten them rather than the shoelaces which makes them much easier to put on and take off.
Obviously these are only used for standup training , to hone boxing skills, although it is necessary to practise basic throwing and downing skills wearing the gloves.
Restricting the use of hands with gloves forces improvement of the techniques so that optimal body positioning and movement must be performed to make the throws work.
Grappling Gloves
Open hand grappling gloves are a great addition to the gym as they enable more sophisitcated locking and throwing techniques to be applied that require the use of open hands.
October 24, 2009 at 3:26 pm | Training | No comment
Headguards
Headgear
Facial cuts, broken noses and black eyes don’t go down well at work, so until the skill level is such that you won’t get hit in the face , facial protection is an essential prerequisite for any fighters gym.
|
Having tried a variety of headguards of differing price and quality I have found that you definitely get what you pay for. Plastic grills over the face reduce visibility and can’t really take the punishment. During one sparring session not only did the grill break it did more damage than the kick would have done. |
Generally you would be looking for a balance between good visibility and protection. It is no good having a helmet that reduces your visibility to such an extent that you cannot see attacks, especially kicks coming from the side. It is better to rely on speed and mobility to avoid then on the protection to reduce the impact. The Headguard is protects against facial damage, but does not protect the brain from impact, so the best option is to avoid getting hit in the first place.
Gumshields
It is also essential that everyone who spars wears a gumshield. Even a light punch to the mouth will cause the teeth to cut through the lips so don’t take the risk. Gumshields come in avariety of sizes , so it is best to have some spares around for people who have forgotten theirs or do not have any. Gumshields also protect you from getting your teeth knocked out. So don’t take the risk protect your mouth, protect your teeth , protect your looks.
October 24, 2009 at 2:27 pm | Training | No comment
Gloves and Mitts
Mitts
I use a variety of different gloves and mitts for different types of practise but mainly to lessen the impact of blows and the contact of knuckles to the body which will cause people to behave differently than they should when practicing applications.
I have often observed that when people know what the application is they change their behaviour in anticipation of the counter especially when their training partner lacks sufficient control or is insufficiently skilled to control their strikes. This creates the situation wher neither party is practising the techniques in the correct way , the attacker does not attack with full commitment and the defender cannot perform his application because of this
These mitts have the advantage that they are lightweight, flexible and leave the hands free to perform all open hand techniques such as locks and palm strikes without any impediment.
October 24, 2009 at 2:14 pm | Training | No comment
Equipping the Gym – Bag Gloves
A Fighter’s gym is incomplete without the requisite training aids and equipment to increase stamina, strength and provide the necessary protection when sparring and treatment for the incidental cuts,bruises and sprains that necessarily occur during rigorous fight training.
For any martial art that has a striking element hand protection is an essential prerequisite. When learning to strike the pad or bag beginners rarely strike correctly and will almost inevitable remove the skin from their knuckles. Once this happens they have to wait until the damage is repaired before they can start punching again. To continue strike training in these cases I make them practise palm strikes instead of punching.
To prevent this kind of problem use bag mitts like these to protect the hands when striking the bag.
Protecting the hands allows a much greater period of bagwork enabling increased stamina build-up and the combination of different punches without risk of hand damage.
It is important to note that bag gloves tend to be of much tougher, more abrasive material than actual boxing gloves due to the fact thaqt they must withstand a far greater degree of punishment against a much tougher target (the bag) and as such should not be used when sparring.
October 4, 2009 at 8:38 pm | Training | No comment
My Gym
Taijiquan
Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) means many things to many people and as such it is very difficult to attract fighters to the art. If fighters do arrive more often than not it is because injury or age has prevented them from continuing with the original art that they practiced or they are looking for a less demanding martial art that offers the promise of effortless victory.
When I started my classes I had the mistaken belief that everybody would see the art as I did but then I was unaware at that time of the extent of the growth in popularity of Tai Chi for health and the complete lack of awareness of Taijiquan , the martial art.
Due to the rigorous nature of my training the Tai Chi for health people never stayed log enough to gain any benefit and the small hardcore keen individuals that remained did not merit the hiring of a large hall.
Taijiquan is best taught in small groups, the oral tradition and individual instruction being paramount for proper learning of the art. With this is mind I decided to return to thetraditional way of teaching where the teacher would teach at his home.
For a busy man such as myself this has many benefits, such as time saved in travelling to and from classes, the flexibility of changing training days, flexibility in length of training sessions, not having to pay room hire and not having to transport the necessary equipment everywhere.
Setting Up a Gym
It is good to practice outside and so I acquired a house with a courtyard that was suitable for use as a training area. However it is also important to be able to train inside when the whether is inclement and to have a place to store the equipment. I found that a double garage was a suitable size for up to 8 people to train in for most things.
Mats
I needed to have mats and decided that jigsaw mats were the most suitable as they could be build into any size or shape and had the advantage of not having gaps to catch toes in.
I use two types of mat
- Jigsaw mats that I use for general floor covering to protect against falls on the concrete floor
- Padded mats that I use for throwing practice and for freestyle wrestling. I got these from Ceetex. Panelite All Purpose Mat with velcro on 2 sides (Long and Short side). The mat covering is made from tough, washable, tear resistant, flame retardant polyester reinforced PVC with an anti-slip base for improved grip on highly polished surfaces
I have had these mats for years and they have proved durable and hard wearing.
Mirror
All martial artists need to know what they actually look like whatever they are doing. Having taught for many years it is obvious that most people have a serious disconnect between what they are doing and what they think they are doing.
A mirror shows what you really look like and enables you to correct your posture in real time. Videos are ok for dramatic effect and seeing yourself from behind but it is still not possible to make postural adjustments with instantaneous feedback.
There are now many options to acquire Gym Mirrors depending upon your requirements. I selected a 6ft x 4ft Wall Mounted Mirror that was pre-drilled but required two people to install.
Punchbag
A heavy professional punchbag is an essential part of any gym. Only by hitting the bag will poor technique and wrist positioning be exposed. I have taught many people who have only trained with air strikes who would have damaged their wrists and hands if they had hit anything with full power due to misalignment of the fist and wrist and not creating a fist properly in the first place. It seems that most people, martial arts teachers included (Boxing, Muay Thai coaches excluded), assume that everybody must know how to form a fist and punch and so do not bother to show their students how to do it. This is particularly prevalent in those classes where students learn the moves but never put them into practice .
|
I used a heavy hook attached to a roof beam to suspend my bag, although it is possible just to use rope if you have open beams. My Bag chain has a swivel mechanism to prevent the chain from twisting and allows the bag to rotate freely. Ropes will eventually wear out due to constant abrasion.
If you do not have a roof beam that can support a bag then a 6 foot bag can be put into the corner of the room. It is also advisable to use punching mitts to protect the hands until sufficient accuracy is achieved so that the knuckles are not scraped by poor striking contact with the bag.
September 27, 2009 at 2:33 pm | Training | No comment
Martial Movie Madness
Over the decades I have watched a lot of Martial Arts Movies of all genres and have finally decided to tell you about some of them. Some movies are great, others extremely poor, some so bad that they are just brilliant.
Hopefully I will be able to source the dvds so that you may, experience some of the best and worst Martial Arts Movies ever made.
Here is a sample of Some of my favourite movies
September 17, 2009 at 10:58 pm | Movies | No comment