Bruce Lee

[pumpum]

actually thats true - ever1 says bruce lee was the best in the world but he never fought anyone !!

[ivi0nk3y]

Bruce Lee had amazing techniques and skill. He did have fights and showed off his skill at times, just not any official tournaments in the West.
Why would Bruce Lee need to earn money or show off his fighting skills when he was already sure of his potential? I'm sure he didn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone which is why he did have a few one on one battles with whoever wanted them but never any official ones.
All I know is that if he was as ligntening fast as they say he was.. I want to be the same.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

If you do copious amounts of reps, say 30, of a light weight then it dont do much. The real problem with it is your muscles cheat, and try to use as little effort as possible to do the job, and so your endurance might increase, and you get fitter, but not stronger, not much.

I disagree with that... You don't need big muscles to be strong... When you lift heavy weights, the only difference is that your muscles get bigger whilst getting stronger... Where as lighter weights and more reps makes you stronger without making you bigger. Saying that lots of reps doesn't make you that much stronger is a joke... Take gymnasts for example, a gymnast that does still rings is bloody strong, but you never see him lifting HUGE weights... Plus, for a fighter, being huge is always a disadvantage, no mattar how strong you are... as they say, water might seem weak and tiny in comparison to steel, but water can break through anything in time.

[ivi0nk3y]

Originally Posted by noodle

I disagree with that... You don't need big muscles to be strong... When you lift heavy weights, the only difference is that your muscles get bigger whilst getting stronger... Where as lighter weights and more reps makes you stronger without making you bigger. Saying that lots of reps doesn't make you that much stronger is a joke... Take gymnasts for example, a gymnast that does still rings is bloody strong, but you never see him lifting HUGE weights... Plus, for a fighter, being huge is always a disadvantage, no mattar how strong you are... as they say, water might seem weak and tiny in comparison to steel, but water can break through anything in time.

Lol I didn't pick up what he said there about not being stronger.. but yea of course you will get stronger. It just won't build muscle mass.
There are people with half the muscle mass of others who can lift twice as much, mostly cos when you start doing more reps it turns into strength training.

[noodle]

If sheer power is as good as you say, why don't you simply become a weight lifter full time and practice martial arts part time? I don't see how sheer power can be better than technique!!

I'd pick a lot of speed and a little "muscle" over a lot of "muscle" and a little speed any day. Even you should do this, especially as you always talk about "weak points"... what would win? A hefty guy with sheer power, or someone tiny that can get to a weak point easily?
Btw, here i'm talking about experienced fighters, not just a random fight on the street with someone that done Karate for 2 years versus a HUGE body builder!

[Ronin4hire]

Personally I think learning martial arts to fight practically is a waste of time. The best way to win a fight is by picking up a weapon.

Martial arts are good for your health in the same way as playing soccer or rugby is good for your health. Plus some martial arts have a spiritual or ethical side to them. But that's about it.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

Personally I think learning martial arts to fight practically is a waste of time. The best way to win a fight is by picking up a weapon.

Martial arts are good for your health in the same way as playing soccer or rugby is good for your health. Plus some martial arts have a spiritual or ethical side to them. But that's about it.

Yeah, I agree with that for people that don't do martial arts full time or for a long period of time... But there is no doubt in my mind that someone with 20 years experience of martial arts is more likely to win a fight against a random person on the street!

[ivi0nk3y]

Well depending on what martial art you do, I think your skill with a weapon will increase as well, even guns.
Ever played team games in paintballing or airsoft?
I enjoy that stuff too much. My bank balance doesn't.
Anyway, it requires a lot of crouching and being ready to run and so on.
Such sports also require a lot of awareness and of course being able to aim.
Martial Arts definitely make it easier for you to run around in short bursts and jump behind obstacles while aiming and firing a gun lol. I can say that because I have first hand experience with "before and after".
Also, normal sports like football or basketball, practicing Martial Arts gives you an edge in that too.
So really, the benefits from it extend to other things than just fighting.

[yuujirou]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

Hmn, you're right, Ivon. I think the assumption it does not help comes from inexperience.

It makes a lot of improvements in weird ways, too. I can handle more beer being healthy. I am better at sex because of stamina and 'sustained thrust power'! I can drive a motorbike in heavy Bangkok traffic faster and more agressivly just due to reaction, constant assesment at high speed and so on, but this is dangerous. Lots of things, but mostly you will be a thousand times more confident and you can fight back, or even start a fight, when you have to. Plus, exersize makes you live longer, esp. the exersize that uses your whole body, like swimming, football games or basketball, or martial arts.

You know, Ivon, I realized something today sparring; I think you need sparring to learn to fight. Like I said, first shadow boxing, then partner drills, then sparring, then competition, then reality fighting. It is part of the production line, I think. Unfortunatly most Kung Fu does not include sparring. But there is San Da, like you said. Sparring helps you test what really works, and see your openings. Today I was getting my ass kicked and I used some Wing Cgun Kung Fu handwork to get passed the boxers gaurd. I have found half of what I learned in Kung Fu does not actually work very well! I reckon this is due to instructors being taught and raised with no sparring experience, so they never know, and the moves change after being far from reality, and become lost, and you are left with a useless style. Wing Chun gets this a lot. And there are some things that just dont work in it anymore. But some that do.

Do you ever intend on mixing styles? Like, do you ever go to the local boxing gym, or kick boxing, or karate club, just to see what a boxer can do on you or karate guy? If you are serious about Kung Fu, then you must learn boxing, karate, MMA, so on. Just a little, so you can see what your weakness is. A specific style is okay, but not when you are only practicing to fight someone of the same style, i.e. training on other mantis guys.

personal opinion from personal experience.....martial arts gives you and edge over ANY physical activity >.>'

i study shaolin kung fu....and i'll admit...alot of the moves seem quite pointless~
buut...after a bit of training...
i've sort of realized that every move has, or can have a purpose
in the forms, most of the moves are over exaggerated or performed in their proper, and ideal postuer, or just meant for training
*it's late, so i apologize for not being exactly coherent atm....*
for example...
when we do a form, our horse stance is set to a 90 degree angle; in the knees, at the ankle, in between the legs, etc.
through the practice of this ideal posture, when its actually utilized, you have better control of your horse stance, you can hold it longer and stronger than if you were to practice it at a 135 degree angle instead....
or...
we also have this move where we stomp both feet on the ground [feet end up together, and the knee's are bent at a 135], and slap a fist over our palms
a seemingly useless move...
though if you modify it, having the fist grab a wrist; the stomping motion drawing the arm towards yourself, and the slamming fist coming over the elbow...the move now become quite effective, no?

alsoo....
for those "training" moves~
in my shaolin class, after every warm-up, we practice something we call the "traditional 18". it starts off w/ some basic forward kicks (both arms are held at a 180 degree angle; fingers make a palm, point upwards to create a 90 degree angle at the wrist; back is straight/spine aligned when kicking, and when walking; chin is tucked in; heel is planted when kicking; and never slouch when kicking), then inside and outside kicks.
obviously, when you kick someone, you aren't going to go in such a posture, but the point is that the training of such postures improves the stability of your kicks and the control over your body.
when i do a typical round house kick...i now find that i apply all the same principles that i had accustomed my body too through the traditional 18 >.>'
meaning...my body is much more stable when a leg is in the air, lolz

bleh....prolly didn't make anysense...but it's 3 am ;_;
and i'm tired...
haha ^^'

[Ronin4hire]

My approach to fighting is pretty successful also.

First of all I don't hang out in dodgy places or take backstreets when on the occasion that I absolutely must walk somewhere late at night. (i.e. stick to main roads).

Second of all if I STILL end up in a fight, I'm guessing it will be over something stupid (e.g. some drunk dickhead who thinks he sees me checking out his girlfriend or some girl he thinks is his and wants to overcompensate by proving how macho he is) so I will back off and let him have his moment.

Finally IF it's a bit more serious than that I will seek assistance (call 111/get the attention of a bouncer/notify someone else to do so etc.)

If the above doesn't deter or prevent an attack in the first place THEN I will resort to either picking up whatever I can see lying around or using my hands/elbows/knees/feet to strike him in the nuts/punching him in the throat or bridge of the nose and not let up untill I'm beaten to a pulp, I can safely say there is no more threat or the fight has been interrupted.

PS- The last proper fight I ever had was in the schoolyard so I consider my strategy as unstoppable... schoolyard fights don't really count though do they?