Stepping into live training

**simonifrius** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 3:50am

Reading a recent thread inspired me to share my experience of taking up live training after years of solo training and sporadic TKD.

By solo training, I mean that I have worked very hard to be fit and would drill often using books, videos, and articles. I once thought that I could learn to fight well using only these tools. I also, like many who have not done live training, had many theories about what really would work on the street.

After Bullshido gently suggested that I don't know my head from my ass about martial arts or fighting in general, I decided that I should test myself. When the opportunity arose, I began taking Muay Thai classes at an MMA gym. Here are some observations I made:

1. Everything changes when you get hit. All the strategies and scenarios you worked up in your mind go out the door.

2. You will get hit. You can't bob and weave around a flurry of punches because hands are faster than heads. You can't out-think a fist flying at your face. It's not that it's impossible to dodge; it's just harder than it was playing dodgeball in gym class. So if you sucked at dodgeball, you will suck at dodging punches.

3. You always revert to your training. In my case, I've been weaning myself off of reaching blocks and instep roundhouse kicks for years. But in sparring, I would constantly revert to using these tools. Also, I would drop my hands after a combo and stop pressing my opponent, which reminds me:

4. The fight doesn't stop after your combo is done. There are no given outcomes in fighting; your opponent does not fall into the abyss when you hit him with your special move.

5. Cardio. Despite what George Dillman taught your mom, fighting is a physical activity and is quite tiring.

6. There seems to be less ego in a live sparring gym than in a place that works in theories.

7. You will get much better, much faster, under a qualified instructor. I knew before how to throw a round kick, a left hook, an elbow, etc. But after two weeks of instruction, I had more power and better timing on all of these techniques than years of going it alone.

8. You're not going to get better instantly. You have to work hard and be critiqued quite a bit before it clicks. However, I felt very confident after every class that I was more equipped for any encounter I might face.

9. You won't be so scared of getting hit after you've been hit a lot in training.

10. Don't underestimate what a sport fighter can do to you. After sparring with actual fighters, I believe they are trained to be more clever than no-contact martial artists.

11. Your techniques will very rarely come out perfectly under pressure. Your space will be compromised and you will be forced to move. Your opponent is trying to hit you at the same time, so your moves won't come out cleanly most of the time. Knowing the move, counter, or whatever is very different than pulling it off at hi-speed.

Maybe I'll think of more later. Wouldn't mind reading observations from others.

This was my gym, but I moved:
http://roundkickgym.com/
Pete is a great teacher and will definitely help you out if you're in the Des Moines area. Didn't get to check out the Jits or MMA classes.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 8:28am

Glad to hear it. To help solve #2, I'd recommend keeping your hands up instead of trying to pretend you're Ali ;)

Keep up the training!

**Mannetosen** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 12:47pm

The ego thing is definitely a big one. Coming from a TMA background I had heard all sorts of horror stories about asshats in combat sports, but the first thing I realized when I moved and joined a gym that produced fighters was how fucking NICE everyone was. I love it.

**simonifrius** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 5:29pm

Originally Posted by Ke?poFist

Glad to hear it. To help solve #2, I'd recommend keeping your hands up instead of trying to pretend you're Ali ;)

Keep up the training!

This literally got pounded into me. I was actually decent for a noob at finding openings, but my whole mindset of the combo was wrong; I was throwing a flurry of punch/kicks, but then I would stop moving forward because I could no longer see an opening, was running out of steam, or simply couldn't think of anything to do, and my trained partner would take advantage of me just standing there like a jerk. "Stick-and-move" now actually means something to me.

**simonifrius** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 5:33pm

The ego thing is definitely a big one. Coming from a TMA background I had heard all sorts of horror stories about asshats in combat sports, but the first thing I realized when I moved and joined a gym that produced fighters was how fucking NICE everyone was. I love it.

What bugs me about MMA and especially Western martial arts is that they were never presented as martial arts but as meathead hobbies when I was growing up. It's become obvious that the technical skills and mental focus required for things like MMA, boxing and wrestling are perhaps greater than they are for the common methods of training most Eastern martial arts.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 9/15/2011 8:47pm

Originally Posted by simonifrius

What bugs me about MMA and especially Western martial arts is that they were never presented as martial arts but as meathead hobbies when I was growing up. It's become obvious that the technical skills and mental focus required for things like MMA, boxing and wrestling are perhaps greater than they are for the common methods of training most Eastern martial arts.

That has more to do with Boxing and Wrestling being presented as "sports" while TKD/Kenpo/Aikido/Etc. are presented as "Martial Arts" on the packaging. MMA is demonized as you say a brutish unpolished meathead sport by the inept "martial artists" that don't know the first thing about fighting.