cool, thanks for the advice guys, I'm kinda thinking of leaving my dojo right now, as fun as it is, we don't ever spar and I would really like to do something where I dont suspect/worry that Im wasting my time, I imagine if your in 'the right place' you wouldn't feel like that.

just my thoughts tho

TT

Go to a Muay Thai or Kyokushin school. Ask to spar someone who's been training for as long as you have. That should make it clear pretty quickly if you've been wasting your time.

I don't think that looking at Cro Cop's fights is the easier way to learn how to beat a grappler.

He is one of the best strikers in the world, it's very difficult to do what he does. He has some natural advantages that most people don't have (i.e his left kick). There's a reason why most strikers are defeated by grapplers. Cro Cop and some few others are exceptions.

On the other hand you can probably beat a lot of grapplers by just being an average grappler. That's easier than being an elite striker.

The only way to be an effective striker vs a grappler is to learn how to stay on your feet . The only way to do this is to be dumped on your head and shoulders repeatedly over a period of several months or maybe even years by a competent wrestler. Eventually you will learn some takedown defense.

After a year or so of drilling your new techniques you will find that you still get taken down. So hopefully in between getting dumped on your head you were also being choked to sleep and getting your joints hyperextend.

After a while you will be able to survive long enough to get of some good strikes.

In short, learn to grapple.

Must......resist......ripping.....into....the....n eophyte.......


Your school sucks leave it.

lol... I appreciate your self will omega :rolleyes:

I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about my school... bullshido has raised so many doubts in my mind. I really like the people there, but I'm just worried about my learning-ness... I mean I wanna learn how to fight! not become a blackbelt and get my ass handed to me by some street thug

:(

Ah well, decisions decisions this summer

TT

PS: Neophyte... laughed my ass off

Originally posted by Traditional Tom
I really like the people there
So much so that you're willing to pay money to hang out with them during class time?

Hang out with them on the weekends and train somewhere else.

Or make some new friends. There are nice people at other gyms, too.

I really like the people there, but I'm just worried about my learning-ness... I mean I wanna learn how to fight! not become a blackbelt and get my ass handed to me by some street thug

There's nice people a lot of places. If you like hanging out with them, get their damn phone numbers and invite them over for a BBQ on Saturday. Don't stick with something that isn't getting you what you intended from it.

buy a gun

There may be some cool people there, but trust me, you'll enjoy hanging out more with people who's fighting ability you actually respect.

Stealing SLJ's post for my signature.

That's it.

I seriously need to find which school in Xi'an has a Judo club. I agree with everything that's being said. Unfortunately that means here in China I seem to be screwed. In LA, I never formaly trained in a ground fighting style but there was always people around me who did. Here in Xi'an....no such luck so far. All this discussion is making me nervous. I'm a mediocre groundfighter at best but there's not a person I've met in Xi'an so far outside of my teacher I couldn't choke out. Mostly with a guillitine but occasionally from a "front naked choke" ?

Can you call it that? I mean, I've discovered you can apply a RNC from the front and it works pretty damn well. Sometimes even better because it's easier to put your ulna across the windpipe.

So what't the official term for that anyways?

I'd suggest finding a few practice partners and getting some books/videos and going it on your own until you can find a good instructor for grappling. Maybe your instructor would be supportive.

As far as the choke goes, if it's the one attached, it's a front choke.

The SCARS anti-grapple defense as I understand it is as unbeatable as it is easy.

Step 1. Talk tough (over the internet)

Step 2. Avoid the grappler by staying in a secret hideout.

I'm not sure how old you are so I thought I'd mention this .. if you are still in high school or college take advantage of the wrestling programs at your school. If you have a decent coach at all you'll learn a lot. You will still need to learn submissions and locks and everything later - but you'll learn to shoot, sprawl, pummel, get wrist control, pin (mount) people, escape, stay standing under pressure, etc etc. Joining the wrestling team in high school is free. FREE. No money. Wrestlers are among the best grapplers in MMA. Their stats are still right up there with BJJ. Of course they cross-train like everyone else in MMA. If you are still in high school or college, my advice is to take advantage of the free training.

Also, you may want to check out a Muay Thai school or a BJJ school like others have said. Also, read and watch videos and make friends with other martial artists. Try new things. See what's out there.

So many variations on a classic . . .

I've done that too but the one I had in mind, my favorite, actually has you face to face with the guy. His arms are free so it seems like he's be able to do something but every time I've gotten it, it seems like the guy just kind of goes into panic mode from having a forearm pressing into his trachea. The first time I saw it was this really vicious WC guy fresh out of prison believe it or not. We were just "playing" not a fight mind you but he slapped that thing on me and pressed me to the wall so fast it made my head spin.

It also made a deep impression.

The first time I used it was in push hands. he he. Kind of outside the rules of what your supposed to do but hey. Maybe I can get someone at the gymn to pose for me tonight and I can get a pic to put up. I don't have any pointers on how to apply it but I HAVE applied it more than once.

I think you're talking about sode jime. Sleeve choke. Yoshida likes to use it, and Royce used it sometimes back in the day. One arm behind the neck, grabs the sleeve of the other arm and that arm goes in front of the neck and grabs the bicep cloth, and you kinda wheel down on their throat. You can do it no-gi as wel, but it is most effective with a gi.