Is American MA training too laxed?

[charlie echo]

I, as a Seido Karateka, understand and agree. I appreciate Seido Juku for what it is and what fight-delusions and impractical habits Seido training fosters along with the good kata and fight skills being practiced.

One must forge one's own path: Assimilate the good, ignore the bad.

I also supplement my "safer" Seido training with full contact, stand-up and on the ground, training.

Each different "fight" training polish my mind in different angles, like polishing a diamond: Seido jiju kumite, kyokushin-derived jissen kumite, freestyle kickboxing (with leg kicks), and jiujiutsu.

I use Seido Juku as my "base" dojo, my little home "well" while I also venture out to the "ocean" of practical martial arts and bring back knowledge to share and to better appreciate my home dojo.

Osu.

[Smoke]

When I first started out in my dojo, it was amazing. We would spar and do form equally, constantly trying to work our practical MA skill.

You were what, 6 at the time? When you're young, your experiences and memories are different, than if you experienced the same thing today.

I remember when I first watched Bloodsport. I thought it was badass, then I watched it now and I thought it was the cheesiest movie ever.

I'm testing for my Shodan next month and apparently it's brutal. Yes, I enjoy taking simple arts that have great quality control, because I can expect the same thing every time and still challenge myself.

[Gezere]

That's interesting. I thought such things were mostly prevalent in the United States and to a lesser extent the U.K. The people who run McDojo's tend to do it as a business but I always thought in many other countries martial arts schools are ran out of community centers where concerns like paying rent and utilities are non-existent.

There are McDojos EVERYWHERE. I knew of several in both Korea and Japan. Are are also many BS artist there as well.

[Prince Vlad]

When I started in the Booj I was around 14. I thought it was amazing: tabi boots, ninja stories, zero health and safety with live weapons and stupidly hard sparring (perversely the club in question called itself Booj even though it wasn't...). Now that I'm all growed up and have had my rose tinted glasses smashed in a few times along with my nose and teeth I realise that what I thought was awesome as a kid actually sucked balls. Just like Smoke said above, I too thought Bloodsport was a kickass movie back then. Hell, I even thought Ralph Machio was th3 d34dly. Face it, the club was probably always **** you're just starting to cop on to it now.

[Aikironin21]

There is a book, "Living the Martial Way" By Forest Morgan. I think, it may be of some help to the younger set here. This book is basically all about what the original poster brought up. I think, there is a problem in many dojo, especially here in the US. Not that it is entirely on the dojo, but the students as well. If your Karate, Tae kwon do, or even Bjj is prioritized like your bowling night, or family pizza night, you really aren't training in anything other than time management, and fitting as many activities into a week as you can. The biggest benefit of MMA training in a gym is the physical conditioning. How many two or three hour classes do you see now a days? I remember training and and doing nothing but exercise for the first forty-five minutes of an hour and a half class. We were expected to train this way on our own and practice what we learned in class in between classes. Training doesn't stop at the dojo or gym. It's meant to be constant. To gain the mastery you strive for in anything, you must fully commit to it. I think, this where people folly in martial training. They think that their one or two classes a week is enough. Then they put it on the shelf till next week. That's basically going through the motions. Yeah on exam night, you can pass a test after much nerves and cramming. I prefer to fully train and just do what I do for an exam knowing I know what I'm doing is right because I do it every day.

Other issues brought up in these forums are addressed also. It espouses cross training in at least three systems with different strategies toward self defense.
For example: You started training in Karate when you were young. Recognize that karate may not be a complete system for all scenarios.

Once you achieved your black belt, recognize where your system is lacking and find another system to fill the holes. Say weakness in ground fighting, so you add BJJ, or wrestling.

Repeat this till you have a well rounded strategy for defense that is workable for you. So now you can strike standing and escape or even dominate on the ground. Now look to an intermediate for grappling while standing or transitioning from the standing striking fight to the ground, like Judo or Aikido.

I can't remember if he necessarily suggested achieving black belt in the second system before moving on to the third, but I do think he suggested at least three systems to be as well rounded as possible.

[It is Fake]

Wow, it looks like you skimmed half the website and added your own ideas to what was actually in the thread. Black Belt is not a universal marker.

[Aikironin21]

That's not to say you should cherry pick techniques from each system, but learn three complete and separate systems as fully as possible. Just because a particular system has components that overlap another, doesn't mean you have necessarily prepared for the scenarios those components apply to. Another system may use similar techniques but may have more affective techniques within its system for that specific or general purpose.

I think this is where some MMA gyms get it wrong. Recently, it seems more and more fitness centers or health clubs/gyms are offering MMA. One that I have witnessed, was more on the line of tai-bo than legitimate fighting or self defense. There was no real sparring or alive training. The ground work they did was every bit as compliant as any Aikido practice, maybe even more so. There is definitely a difference between going to a fitness center or health club/gym and an MMA gym that specializes in teaching BJJ, wrestling, Muay-Thai, kick-boxing, and is geared toward self defense or competition. So MMA is not immune to the Mcdojo phenomenon. As long as there are people looking for an easy way out, there will be business men and women to open Mcdojo, to take their money and give them a sense of accomplishment.

[Goju - Joe]

Most people don't want to do the hard training it takes to be a competent fighter and martial artist

That stuff hurts and is painful

[Aikironin21]

No Black belt is not, but most people identify it with proficiency in a style. I could have just said proficiency or become proficient in, but the author used black belt as a standard. Plus, how many people think they are proficient after their second or third belt, when they don't really know anything? Regardless, It's great book for anyone interested in training.

[Moenstah]

OP should do kyokushin; that's something related to ryukyu goju ryu, and judo. Apart from my skepsis regarding his story that is.