Martial arts tips

[Tigerwarrior]

Figured it would be a good idea to make a thread on tips. Little things you've learned in your training that helped. Can be anything. Share your wisdom with martial talk!

I'll go first. Tip: when punching if you try to punch hard you will punch with less force. If you use speed and your body weight you will punch harder than tensing and trying to put tons of power in your punch. In breaking I once couldn't break a board because I was so focused on power. Then My teacher told me to punch faster and use my body and not focus on putting strength from my arms. I broke the board. Same day, just one tip made the difference.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

When you

- think about power/speed, that's not your true power/speed.
- don't think about power/speed, that's your true power/speed.

The day when you can punch with your arms behind your back and just punch with your body, you truly understand how to punch.

When you punch, try to pay attention on your knees. Is your knee coordinate with your elbow?

 

[skribs]

Don't pull guard on the guy that more than doubles your weight.

 

[Simfers]

To all the people who've asked me what the best martial art is: The best martial art for you is the one you enjoy training in, because that's the one you'll stick with. When you stop enjoying it, find a new best one.

It's a wild ride, friends. Enjoy it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If your opponent wants to

- bend his arm, you help him to bend more.
- straight his arm, you help him to straight more.
- drop low, you help him to drop lower.
- stand up, you help him to stand up higher.
- stand wide, you help him to stand wider.
- stand narrow, you help him to stand narrower.
- ...

To help your opponent is to help yourself.

 

[isshinryuronin]

The day when you can punch with your arms behind your back and just punch with your body, you truly understand how to punch.

This sounds like something the ancient Shaolin master would say to his disciple in a king fu movie.................BUT,

A great observation!! Even though our arts are quite different we agree on this concept. The arm motion in a punch is just the most observable, tail-end of the technique.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you think

- you are better than your opponent, enter through his front door. You separate his arms away from his head and attack his center.
- your opponent is better than you, enter through his side door. You guide his leading arm to jam his own back arm. This way you only have to deal with one of his arms.

 

[Badhabits]

Learning relaxed, loose movement is much harder than it sounds. Occasionally train to the point of muscular fatigue, to the point that your muscles feel like washed out, wet rags hanging off you. Push past this point and keep going. Then you'll start to get an idea of what relaxed loose movement really feels like.

 

[Badhabits]

Practice everyday consistently. Just 20 mins daily will get you farther than 1 hr twice a week.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

It's hard when you're supposed to be fighting but relax- your opponent will have to chase you all over the floor if you can move around better

 

[Holmejr]

Along with all the great insights here.
Don’t be anxious.

 

[Holmejr]

Practice everyday consistently. Just 20 mins daily will get you farther than 1 hr twice a week.

This is good. Often times the process of motivating myself to practice or even attending class is difficult, but afterward the rewards are super. Good thought!

 

[JowGaWolf]

Trust the technique. Sometime trying to edit or "improve" a technique is what breaks it.
1st Trust the technique
2nd. Learn what the technique works best against.
3. Learning TMA, CMA: application learning works best when sparring is System A vs System B.
4. Family doesn't fight Family.

 

[Buka]

In striking arts, keep your hands up and your chin down.

 

[Buka]

For any Martial Art…

Go to class as often as you can.

While there, stay in the present at all times. Even for the parts that you don’t personally care for.

 

[Badhabits]

Think hard about why you're doing what you're doing. Especially when it's a technique or movement that seems silly as hell.

 

[drop bear]

Don't hold your hands up. Hold your elbows in. It is way easier.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you don't allow your opponent to put weight on his leading leg, he can't punch you. Sweep that leg or stomp on his knee when you see that happen.

 

[Tigerwarrior]

Here's a few more: if you are on the ground in turtle position make an x with your arms blocking your neck, it might buy you some time and it lessens the risk of being choked, be careful because you can still get arm locked. This is not a position to be in long term but it's a damage control technique to prevent chokes for the short term. I used this alot in the past.

Train harder than your fight will be. For sport fighting double your round time, for self defense a real fight Is a 90 second sprint and not 5 5minute rounds. So know this and train accordingly.

When sparring with stick or drilling with someone you have never drilled with before wear a glove. Getting hit on the knuckles sucks. One time it took a week of healing and 2 weeks of rehab exercises to get so I could make a full fist again. Try to avoid that.

Don't chase belts, chase mastering a full system. Anyone can buy a belt, not everyone has what it takes to master a full system.

Keep your art as pure as possible, but also know what works best for you. Stepping a little different or moving in a way best for you may not be 100% correct, but if you can keep the system 99% pure and can still make it work for your own body you are doing good.

Remember to have fun, when you start dreading training either a lay off or quitting is coming soon. If you keep it fun you'll want to be doing your art into golden years and beyond.

 

[isshinryuronin]

In striking arts, keep your hands up and your chin down.

What about your nuts? Don't they deserve a little consideration and TLC too?