Where do you look in sparring?

[JowGaWolf]

Where I look depends on the distance between me and my opponent. The closer my opponent gets to me the higher up I look. In general I look towards the center so that I can detect movement that would let me know that either a kick or a punch is going to come in. I also do this in order to see what openings I have for attack.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I like to use my side vision to watch my opponent's leading leg. If your opponent wants to move in or punch you, he has to shift his weight onto his leading leg. If youI can prevent his forward weight shifting, you can prevent his attack. The moment that your opponent puts weight on his leading leg, the moment that you

- sweep it or
- step on his knee,

you can make the fight very simple.

In my style of kung fu, we learn how to punch without shifting weight onto our leading leg.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Only looking at your opponent's leg means that you are going to get hit with a lot of punches.

If your opponent is already in your kicking range, your leg should kick/sweep him already. Assume you and your opponent are both outside of the kicking range to start with. Your opponent has to enter your kicking range before he can enter his punching range and punch you. If you fail to kick/sweep him when he tries to enter your kicking range, you will deserve his punches on your face if you also fail to block his punches. Again, the leg is always longer than the arm.

When you look at your opponent's leg, you can judge whether his foot can reach to your body or not. That also mean whether your foot can reach to his body or not.

 

[JowGaWolf]

If your opponent is already in your kicking range, your leg should kick/sweep him already. Assume you and your opponent are both outside of the kicking range to start with. Your opponent has to enter your kicking range before he can enter his punching range and punch you. If you fail to kick/sweep him when he tries to enter your kicking range, you will deserve his punches on your face if you also fail to block his punches. Again, the leg is always longer than the arm.

When you look at your opponent's leg, you can judge whether his foot can reach to your body or not. That also mean whether your foot can reach to his body or not.

Special thanks to Atlanta Kung Fu and Sanda (in yellow) center for proving your statement in accurate. Everything happens just as you stated. Blue lands a kicks and eats a fist

 

[kuniggety]

Special thanks to Atlanta Kung Fu and Sanda (in yellow) center for proving your statement in accurate. Everything happens just as you stated. Blue lands a kicks and eats a fist

I think you want to watch that video again. He landed a sideish snap kick into the guys hip vs a right cross punch into the face. The results would've been very different if he had landed his kick (and thrown a stronger kick... it didn't look very strong) into a better target.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I think you want to watch that video again. He landed a sideish snap kick into the guys hip vs a right cross punch into the face. The results would've been very different if he had landed his kick (and thrown a stronger kick... it didn't look very strong) into a better target.

The results would have been the same even if the kick was stronger. At 0:48 Yellow already knows the kick is coming before the guy actually kicks. I sparred with Yellow before and he has a strong stance, strong legs. and quick movements. I've seem him do similar attacks on stronger kicks. The only difference is that his opponent understood the value of having their hands up guarding their head, the punch still landed. Kicks have weaknesses and if you understand those weaknesses then you can exploit them. He understands the limitations of a kick and its power.

 

[kuniggety]

The results would have been the same even if the kick was stronger. At 0:48 Yellow already knows the kick is coming before the guy actually kicks. I sparred with Yellow before and he has a strong stance, strong legs. and quick movements. I've seem him do similar attacks on stronger kicks. The only difference is that his opponent understood the value of having their hands up guarding their head, the punch still landed. Kicks have weaknesses and if you understand those weaknesses then you can exploit them. He understands the limitations of a kick and its power.

It was a poorly executed kick defeated by a person who stepped within the optimal kicking range, into punching range, and punched the guy. I thought he did a very good job of it. My point was it wasn't a very good example to counter what Kung Fu Wang. He should've kicked much earlier and kept the distance. A round house kick to the head or a thrust kick to the chest is much stronger than a punch to the same places. That was his point.

 

[JowGaWolf]

It was a poorly executed kick defeated by a person who stepped within the optimal kicking range, into punching range, and punched the guy. I thought he did a very good job of it. My point was it wasn't a very good example to counter what Kung Fu Wang. He should've kicked much earlier and kept the distance. A round house kick to the head or a thrust kick to the chest is much stronger than a punch to the same places. That was his point.

No good fighter is going to let you get the perfect kick on them. A good fighter isn't going to stand in his opponent's optimal kicking range unless they are baiting you. The simple rule to dealing will kicks are either move to the side (for front kicks) or move forward (for any kick)

This is a video of someone who doesn't follow the rules.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Kicks have weaknesses and if you understand those weaknesses then you can exploit them. He understands the limitations of a kick and its power.

Your

- kicking skill should be your 1st line of defense.
- punching skill should be your 2nd line of defense.
- clinching skill should be your 3rd line of defense.

Punches also have weakness too. If you can use "rhino guard" properly, it's very difficult for your opponent to punch on your head.

In the following clip, the punch can generate 1,000 lb of force (at 1:56), but the kick can generate 1,500 lb of force (at 2.46).

 

[JowGaWolf]

Weakness of the Rhino guard punch the guy in the open gut then punch him in the head.
Weakness # 2 fake a punch to the stomach then hit him in his head.

I wish someone would give me that opportunity to hit the rhino guard lol. Videos like that will cause people to get hurt. As for the kick the 1000 lb of force comes from the optimal kicking distance. Move forward within that range and that kick becomes weak. That's why BJJ people are able to counter kicks without taking the full force of a hard kick

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Weakness of the Rhino guard punch the guy in the open gut then punch him in the head.
Weakness # 2 fake a punch to the stomach then hit him in his head.

I wish someone would give me that opportunity to hit the rhino guard lol. Videos like that will cause people to get hurt.

The moment that you punch at your opponent's body, the moment that you will expose your head, and your opponent will separate his arms, move in, and wrap on your head.

The "rhino guard" is used to set up "分手(Fen Shou) - separate arms". You then move in between your opponent's arms. In training, you try to block 20 punches from your opponent. In combat, you will move in right after your opponent's 1st punch, or the 2nd punch. The "rhino guard" is used for offense. it's not used for defense. The "rhino guard" defense drill is just used for training purpose. The blue dashed lines will be the "rhino guard" arm's moving paths.

 

[kuniggety]

Weakness # 2 fake a punch to the stomach then hit him in his head.

Anyone who opens up their face to protect their stomach deserves to get punched in the face.

I wish someone would give me that opportunity to hit the rhino guard lol. Videos like that will cause people to get hurt. As for the kick the 1000 lb of force comes from the optimal kicking distance. Move forward within that range and that kick becomes weak. That's why BJJ people are able to counter kicks without taking the full force of a hard kick

I am a BJJ guy primarily nowadays but I have studied striking in the past (Shuri- ryu karate, bak sil lum/Northern Shaoling/and sanda for a brief stint). You seem to be completely dismissing kicks for some reason which is odd because even your system of kung fu teaches kicks. I'll be honest... watching some sanda fights for points where they stop the fight when someone gets hit doesn't do it for me. Watch a few UFC (or any of the other prior or concurrent variants) and see how fighters will effectively use kicks to stop or drop an opponent. Do you think their opponents aren't trained? They certainly are - more than you or I - but they're still getting dropped by that kick. They should be used for maintaining distance or as a go to finish move after tiring your opponent.

 

[JowGaWolf]

The moment that you punch at your opponent's body, the moment that you will expose your head, and your opponent will separate his arms, move in, and wrap on your head.

The "rhino guard" is used to set up "分手(Fen Shou) - separate arms". You then move in between your opponent's arms. In training, you try to block 20 punches from your opponent. In combat, you will move in right after your opponent's 1st punch, or the 2nd punch. The "rhino guard" is used for offense. it's not used for defense. The "rhino guard" defense drill is just used for training purpose. The blue dashed lines will be the "rhino guard" arm's moving paths.

Show me a sparring video of this method vs some other style of fighting because I can't see it happening.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Anyone who opens up their face to protect their stomach deserves to get punched in the face.



I am a BJJ guy primarily nowadays but I have studied striking in the past (Shuri- ryu karate, bak sil lum/Northern Shaoling/and sanda for a brief stint). You seem to be completely dismissing kicks for some reason which is odd because even your system of kung fu teaches kicks. I'll be honest... watching some sanda fights for points where they stop the fight when someone gets hit doesn't do it for me. Watch a few UFC (or any of the other prior or concurrent variants) and see how fighters will effectively use kicks to stop or drop an opponent. Do you think their opponents aren't trained? They certainly are - more than you or I - but they're still getting dropped by that kick. They should be used for maintaining distance or as a go to finish move after tiring your opponent.

I'm not dismissing kicks at all. Jow Ga is known for it's strong kicks. If you were to see sparring videos of me then you would see me using them. Jow Ga also has counters to kicks, and we are taught the ranges in which they are effective not only to counter but so that we don't throw kicks at the wrong time. We know the weakness of a kick and how to exploit it. We know that the closer in we are the less danger we are in from a kick. We constantly work on defending against kicks and using kicks. I can't remember a day of practice where we haven't use a kick. I watch all kinds of fights because I slow down the video and analyze it. I do it with professional fights, street fights, my sparring matches, other peoples sparring matches and so on.

I'm not saying you can't use a kick to stop or drop an opponent, but if I step to the side of a front kick and move forward then that kick becomes useless. Its the same for a punch. A missed punch is a useless punch unless the missed punch or kick is a bait.

Show me one video of a person getting knocked out by a kick to the head when they moved inside the effective range of that kick (with their guard up). Jow Ga teaches how to deal with kicks that are used for maintaining distance. BJJ guys get inside of the range of kicks and punches all the time regardless of if their opponent is trying to kick their head off or keep them at a distance when the kick is thrown.

If you understand the range at which kicks have power and you stay out of that range then you aren't going to get dropped by that kick. Most fighters make the mistake of moving back to avoid a kick which usually puts them in the range where the kick is most powerful. Jow Ga uses a strong rooted system so things like this are always drilled into to help us counter kicks and to help us to be stronger kickers.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Show me a sparring video of this method vs some other style of fighting because I can't see it happening.

I don't have any "rhino guard" clip used in Sanda/Sanshou because the gloves will make that "big fist" impossible. But the same principle can be used by "boxing guard" instead. You don't real need to hold your hands into a "big fist". But to lock both hands together can make your "guard" much stronger.

In the following clip, the guy

- deflects his opponent's right punch with his left arm,
- deflects his opponent's left punch with his right arm,
- enters between his opponent's both arms,
- obtain a "head lock", and
- tries to knock his opponent down with his "upper cut".

The shape of the "rhino guard" is not important. It's the arms moving path as showing in the blue dashed lines that's important. As long as you won't let your opponent's punches to come in between your both arms, you have already applied the "rhino guard" principle. You will have to separate your connected arms and move your

- left arm between your opponent's right arm and his head,
- right arm between your opponent's left arm and his head.

Since your arms will end to be separated, the "rhino guard" is only a temporary stage.