What went wrong?

[JowGaWolf]

I'm taking a different approach on bad martial arts. Instead of talking about how bad these guys are. I will focus on what went wrong and how Jow Ga techniques and concepts could be applied to correct the person's fighting skills. Youe can approach it from the perspective of the system that you train. Think of it as if you were using the video to teach someone why you would use a different approach? How would you correct or improve the application of the technique being used? What flaws do you see in how the technique was being used? Feel Free to join in. The only rule is don't post fantasy stuff. Post videos where you could adjust that person's attempt or technique that would make what they tried more practical. Even if you aren't familiar with a technique there will be some universal things that are true to all martial arts.

I'll start it off.

So for this one I just picked the biggest problem for me. Turning the back to your opponent is a big Don't Do

There are times when one can turn their back as part of a lure or attack but to turn your back and walk away while your opponent is punching is a big Don't Do. A person can give up or quit just as easily while facing his or her opponent. The problem when turning your back to someone and walking away is that you can no longer see them and you expose rhe most vulnerable part of the head. The back of it. Turning the back like this is a display of weakness and submission to often draws out the "blood lust" in competitive fights and in street fights. You are practically telling your opponent to finish you.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Think of it as if you were using the video to teach someone why you would use a different approach? How would you correct or improve the application of the technique being used?

When I see people who punch without bend/straight their knees, that always bother me. I just don't understand why people want to freeze their legs and only punch with their arm.

In these clips, you can see knee bend -> knee straight when they punch. IMO, this is the right way to train. Power has to come from the ground before reaching to the arm.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I'll start it off.

So for this one I just picked the biggest problem for me. Turning the back to your opponent is a big Don't Do

The other thing that I would instruct students is to do is: Do not use "zombie arms" If they must outstretch their arms then make sure the forearms are pointing up and elbows pointing down. Do not straighten the arms. Straight arms extended defense cannot defend against looping punches. Keep those forearms up so that they will get in the way of a looping punch. Extending straight arms to keep the person away will not stop punches. If you can extend your arms and touch them, then they can easily extend their arms and hit you with a strike. If the goal is to just somehow put the arm in the way of punches, then have forearms pointing up elbows bent and pointing down. If the goal is to get away from the punches, then move your feet. Learn how to cut angles moving forward and backwards. But don't use zombie arms.

 

[drop bear]

He is trying to address each punch then counter it. But you basically can't see punches coming at speed so it didn't work.

If you are a first time fighter like these to. They should rely more on straight punching and just play the percentages.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Do not use "zombie arms" ... Extending straight arms to keep the person away will not stop punches.

Zombie arms is used to obtain clinch.

 

[windwalker099]

We have an epic Tai Chi self-proclaimed master vs completely untrained novice showdown.

What makes this guy a "Taiji master" other than his own claim?

I've noticed in other discussions that people are often addressed by what they say they do, rather than by who they are or what they’ve actually accomplished.

For those I work with, I’d advise them to ignore what they see online and focus on their own abilities.
Test what they believe they can do with as many different people as possible, addressing problems as they arise.

2 people testing their arts

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This is a good example that when you put your arms in your opponent's punching path, your opponent has to deal with your arms before he can punch you (WC centerline principle). The CON is your leading is almost straight, you have to pull it back before you can punch out.

This is not a CON if you just want to use you WC guard to obtain a clinch, you don't care about your leading arm punching ability.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Zombie arms is used to obtain clinch.

I wouldn't call these zombie arms. Elbows are bent and forearms are pointing up. I understand it's your "zombie arms" and the way that you are doing it is the way it should be done. Not used to keep distance but to set up a clinch which also smothers any looping punch.

What makes this guy a "Taiji master" other than his own claim?

I've noticed in other discussions that people are often addressed by what they say they do, rather than by who they are or what they’ve actually accomplished.

I don't even pay any attention to those things anymore. Much of what we see in Youtube titles is to gain clicks and make money through views.

What makes this guy a "Taiji master" other than his own claim?

I've noticed in other discussions that people are often addressed by what they say they do, rather than by who they are or what they’ve actually accomplished.

For those I work with, I’d advise them to ignore what they see online and focus on their own abilities.
Test what they believe they can do with as many different people as possible, addressing problems as they arise.

2 people testing their arts

1st thing that went wrong was sparring with someone who will slam you on that type of surface lol. Track surfaces aren't' soft.
2nd thing that went wrong was to take off the shoes. I would hate to pivot on asphalt with my bare feet. For those who like to spar without shoes. My recommendation would be to spar with shoes on from time to time. This way you get a good feel for the type of limitations you may have in the shoes or on different services. But make sure you spar with someone that isn't going to slam you on concrete.

But back to the fighting techniques. The "TKD" guy doesn't know what to do with the long guard. My guess this is a bad habit from Olympic rule sparring where the hands are held low. We can see that he doesn't know what to do with it. He used the kick to enter and the punch to exit. I think things could have been better if he knew what to do with the Long Guard. If he had shoes on then he may have been able to kick that long guard as if it was holding a pad.

 

[JowGaWolf]

This is a good example that when you put your arms in your opponent's punching path, your opponent has to deal with your arms before he can punch you

This should be a standard mode of operation. Don't let that lead hand roam free. I've seen professional fighters who dance around the lead hand as if they don't know what to do with it. In training one should work against various types of guards.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

The "TKD" guy doesn't know what to do with the long guard.

The WC guy has left arm forward. The TKD guy should use right hook punch to push the WC guy's left arm to jam the WC guy's own right arm.

May be using circular punch to deal with straight punch is not in TKD's strategy.

 

[windwalker099]

The WC guy has left arm forward. The TKD guy should use right hook punch to push the WC guy's left arm to jam the WC guy's own right arm.

May be using circular punch to deal with straight punch is not in TKD's strategy.

TKD has many circular kicks...
The TKD guy in the video didn’t seem to have a good strategy.

In Korea, their kicks were very fast and fluid—ax kicks, in particular, hard to see coming in.

They could take a guard down, or knock a person out...

My own preference is not to have a physical guard, instead use positioning, distance, and timing as a guard.

 

[JowGaWolf]

TKD has many circular kicks...
The TKD guy in the video didn’t seem to have a good strategy.

This made me go back and look at the footwork and I noticed that both were very linear. In Jow Ga, being linear with circular strikes gets me hit. When I spar with TKD, I'm always going linear on their kicks which are circular. I think the TKD guy could have landed some kicks on the WC guy had he stepped at an angle before kicking. That plus use punches to setup his kicks.

Question for the TKD practitioners. Do you guys practice stepping off angle before kicking.?

 

[Holmejr]

A lot of hey makers!! Their punches look like girls in a school yard. Virtually everything is lacking. Of course they are beginners and thing will only get better. No matter what the style, it’s hard to beat boxing hands, defense and footwork during sparring. All the fancy stuff seems to break down during sparring anyway.

 

[JowGaWolf]

A lot of hey makers!! Their punches look like girls in a school yard. Virtually everything is lacking. Of course they are beginners and thing will only get better. No matter what the style, it’s hard to beat boxing hands, defense and footwork during sparring. All the fancy stuff seems to break down during sparring anyway.

If these 2 were people that you were training. What advice would you give them as their coach or trainer?

 

[windwalker099]

All the fancy stuff seems to break down during sparring anyway.

Boxing itself is quite sophisticated.

Why, when I see people demonstrating techniques using a non-boxer as the "boxer,"
The techniques likely wouldn’t work against someone who can actually box.

 

[Holmejr]

Boxing itself is quite sophisticated.

Why, when I see people demonstrating techniques using a non-boxer as the "boxer,"
The techniques likely wouldn’t work against someone who can actually box.

It’s so simple, that it’s sophisticated! I agree! All about subtlety, but even in the beginning it teaches good mechanics.

 

[windwalker099]

It’s so simple, that it’s sophisticated! I agree! All about subtlety, but even in the beginning it teaches good mechanics.

All traditional CMA teaches good mechanics when based on authentic practices.

Judging someone’s skill level based on a brief video clip—especially beginners or even intermediate practitioners—isn’t always accurate. It's best, if possible, to meet and observe them in person.

Self-promoters proclaiming themselves as masters are often the least skilled at what they claim mastery over. The same goes for those who think they can box and walk into a boxing gym asking to spar; often doesn’t end well.

What I look for in clips, regardless of level, is whether the practitioners are using what they train in.
Would someone unfamiliar with the style be able to see the differences in approach?

A main complaint about CMA stylist in the 70s when they competed in the ring.
They practiced one way and looked like everyone else when fighting.
Most of my life, was spent rectifying this perception with those I met...

Feel it’s important for those practicing CMA not to focus on the faults of others, but to demonstrate the correct methods through their own work.

In this case, thought both of them performed very well in the video, considering their level of practice.

 

[Hot Lunch]

I've actually seen many videos of something similar. There was a viral video of this a few years ago, where a guy was teaching kung fu and cajoled a heckler into fighting him. The difference is that the fight was pretty one-sided in favor of the kung fu guy. He beat the heckler up pretty good to prove that his "kung fu" worked, except... he wasn't using kung fu. This isn't to say that he wasn't trained in kung fu; I'm sure he was. It simply went out the window when it was time to use it. Much like what happened in this video. I think that this is a real concern for those who practice TMA.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

My own preference is not to have a physical guard, instead use positioning, distance, and timing as a guard.

Physical guard is used in both striking art and wrestling art. Your arms act like insect whiskers to sense the environment.

 

[windwalker099]

Physical guard is used in both striking art and wrestling art. Your arms act like insect whiskers to sense the environment.

Depends on one's experience, preference

For example with

..

When observing it in action, someone might think it appears quite open, not understanding how it works or how it’s trained.


A major part of the training is based on positioning, distancing, and timing. Northern Mantis, for example, has what could be called a push-hands practice similar to Taiji, serving the same purpose. Both arts, as practiced by many, use contact as a basis for further actions.

This is something I addressed when creating a style based on White Crane and Taiji.

Focusing on


Sim (閃) - Shǎn (to evade)
Chuen (穿) - Chuān (to pierce)
Jeet (截) - Jié (to intercept)