Target Training Equipment? Help.......

[Ty K. Doe]

If you say so.

I did say so.

BTW, how do you know they're such great fighters?

Why don't you give the criterion for knowing if they're good, so I don't have to play your philosophical games.

The other issue being that even if they are great at what they do--and if this is indeed what anyone would qualify as "fighting"

MMA mumbo jumbo

Many great fighters of the past and present have employed ludicrous, pointless practices, and have attained great success due to OTHER elements in their training regimen, or innate personal skill.

No one ever said you'd attain martial arts greatness just by kicking a peice of paper or a tennis ball. But I promise it's great for developing speed, dexterity, and focus.

 

[Black Bear]

Ooh, such defensiveness!

"Why don't you give the criterion for knowing if they're good, so I don't have to play your philosophical games."
Aie yai yai, the Angry Laser Monkey senses he has offended. Philosophical games? All I'm saying is that I'd like to know how it is that they know that they're good fighters, since so many folks in the martial arts presume to be fighters, when they've never done pulled their stuff off in a real street assault, or even scenario-based simulation, or even full-contact in a field of resistance with competent folks in other systems. I'm not SAYING that these folks you're talking about are in this category, since I don't' know them. I'm just ASKING you. So touchy!

"MMA mumbo jumbo"
"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish." Euripides I believe. Again, all I am saying is that people do things that they call "fighting" that is in no way comparable to a real fight. Isn't that a reasonable distinction to make? Why all the hate?

"No one ever said you'd attain martial arts greatness just by kicking a peice of paper or a tennis ball."
And indeed I never accused you of saying anything such thing, so don't attempt to put words in my mouth that don't fit.

"But I promise it's great for developing speed, dexterity, and focus."
Ah. And there's the real question, and the real reason I brought up that point: "Does it make any real contribution to the person's skill development?" Or more specifically, "if these guys ARE great fighters, AND they utilize this particular practice, does this SUFFICE to prove that the practice is a substantive contribution to skill development?" The answer, of course, is no, since many good fighters of the past and present have done pointless and wasteful things which they believed to constitute good training. They managed to be good fighters regardless, because even if 70% of the stuff you do is crap, this mere fact will by no means ensure that you will be UNABLE to fight.

Start talking some sense, little man.

 

[Ty K. Doe]

Ah. And there's the real question, and the real reason I brought up that point: "Does it make any real contribution to the person's skill development?" Or more specifically, blah blah blah blah a;sljfal;skjfslagdjv nfvjiokldshksgfhsdfhgujsdfjgknsdlfrjhkjsgkjlsdfhdfh

Come on. You've got to know that doing something is better than doing nothing. If I can't afford to go out and buy a $100 punching bag, then you tell me what would be beneficial. Wait, I suppose that maybe you would prefer not to use equipment at all. Maybe instead it should be a live person. Whatever it is, I don't understand your point. I guess you would tell me that running on a tread mill is a waste of time and running outside is the way to go.

Start talking some sense, little man.

Ouch! Now, now.

The only reason I lashed out like I did is because it seems like every thread I go to, there you are going against the grain. It seems like you think your opinion is the only right one. You don't have to agree all the time, just don't knock people down because you don't agree. Sorry, man. But most people don't like know-it-alls.

how do you know they're such great fighters?

I've seen them fight, and they've saved MY butt.

 

[Black Bear]

"You've got to know that doing something is better than doing nothing. If I can't afford to go out and buy a $100 punching bag, then you tell me what would be beneficial."
Fair enough. Or indeed, a person might be living in an apartment and not have a place to house a punching bag, etc. But I put forth what I consider the best alternative first, then we make allowances and adjustments as appropriate, without throwing too much away. Don't you think that's a reasonable way to proceed?

Now, would this hypothetical destitute person have a training partner? Focus mitts can be improvised with thong sandals, carpet underlay (or refolded cloth), and the garage trainee's best friend: duct tape. Focus mitts (unlike, say, paddles) can be stacked and provide some degree of resistance so that a person can actually punch into it, really transfer weight in. A good thing. One person I know who was of limited means picked up a huge canvas bag from the post office (used, worn out) patched it up, and filled it with sawdust to make a respectable surrogate. And so on. People have brains and should use them. Even a double-end bag is fairly affordable, and can even be improvised with doubled-up lengths of low-grade bungee cord for a bit better resistance. In my opinion this sure beats the hell out of hanging a nerf ball from the ceiling.

"Wait, I suppose that maybe you would prefer not to use equipment at all. Maybe instead it should be a live person."
The quality of training is VERY limited unless you work with a live person. But again, we're here to provide solutions, patches, fixes, adaptations, right? So skipping the sarcasm... moving along now...

"Whatever it is, I don't understand your point. I guess you would tell me that running on a tread mill is a waste of time and running outside is the way to go."
Tsk tsk, don't make fun of that which, you admit, you don't understand. Running is running. I recall vaguely some exercise physiologist mentioning differences between running on the road vs. a treadmill, but I forget. I hate treadmills, but that's just personal preference. I'm sure they're easier on the joints.

The only reason I lashed out like I did is because it seems like every thread I go to, there you are going against the grain.""
Okay now, let's be very precise about this. Break it down. You resorted to ad hominem because I hold a minority view? Oh dear! That doesn't seem fair at all! But it sounds like what you're saying if you think about it.

"It seems like you think your opinion is the only right one."
Most people who hold an opinion do so because they believe it to be true. I'm not rude about it--just blunt. I don't attack people unless they talk smack to me. I think that's reasonable.

I've seen them fight, and they've saved MY butt.""
Now, that's fine. Your assertion that they're good fighters is based on prior success in real fighting. Good answer. That didn't hurt too much now, did it?