Striking "alive"

**alex** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 2:15am

Originally Posted by KempoFist

Wow...I've never trained in Muay Thai or known anyone that's actually done it at a real school....I always kinda figured that bagwork and sparring was all there was to those classes. What else do they do? Hold hands and dance?

do you try and sound like a fucking idiot, or is it something that comes naturally?

**eyebeams** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 5:34am

In my experience, people get used to contact more easily when it's from a limited set of techniques. It's psychological; people can handle something they can see coming a little better.

If you drill, say, jab/cross with head contact, and then sparring with good body contact but light head contact, you can eventually widen permissable head contact to the point where everybody feels comfortable.

**MONGO** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 7:29am

kempofist, your trying to turn your dance class into a martial arts class? May be a little hard, you may wanna quit doing the bullshit you are teaching and actually take a real martial arts class.

I gather from this and some of the other posts you have made, that you are just introducing alive training.......You may be unable to actually fix the school/style you are training in.

**Firebrand** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 12:37pm

Kidspatula stated.

ya know, in all the zillions of times I've sparred I've only had two occassions of a bruised face, and I bruise rather easily. Really, people who are into martial arts need to stop being such major fucking wusses. Sparring isn't even all that hard core.

I agree with you. But unfortunately, if full contact sparring including full force shots to the face became mandatory (strongly encouraged), most martial arts schools would not stay in business for long. There is a large cross section of students who are professionals who can't afford to go to work with a broken nose or black eye. Even schools that train alive are now reconsidering full contact sparring with full force face shots (can't make money if students get hurt and don't come back) except for those who want it.

Then you have the lawyers. But that is a different topic.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 12:40pm

Originally Posted by Ikken Hisatsu

do you try and sound like a fucking idiot, or is it something that comes naturally?

Do you try to get off acting like a cocky internet badass? Or is that just a byproduct?

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 12:43pm

Originally Posted by MONGO

kempofist, your trying to turn your dance class into a martial arts class? May be a little hard, you may wanna quit doing the bullshit you are teaching and actually take a real martial arts class.

I gather from this and some of the other posts you have made, that you are just introducing alive training.......You may be unable to actually fix the school/style you are training in.

To give a quick summation of my school, my sensei back in the day used to train the crap out of us with heavy workouts and such. Although he didn't call it training "Alive" that's what we did much of the time. I think he called it, "kicking the crap out of you till you stop sucking so much." Or something like that. Since then a few other guys have run the school and McDojofied it. Finally a friend of mine is in charge of the school with myself and a few others as head black belts, and we're trying to bring that old school feel back to it. Only thing is, is that now we are faced with the business and PR aspect of running a school, where before we were only students. Pretty much I'm trying to keep the place a successful business while keeping integrity in the belts and the school. And after reading alot of posts here, it seems that may be just a dream :P

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 12:48pm

Originally Posted by Firebrand

I agree with you. But unfortunately, if full contact sparring including full force shots to the face became mandatory (strongly encouraged), most martial arts schools would not stay in business for long. There is a large cross section of students who are professionals who can't afford to go to work with a broken nose or black eye. Even schools that train alive are now reconsidering full contact sparring with full force face shots (can't make money if students get hurt and don't come back) except for those who want it.

Thats pretty much the conundrum I am faced with. Hence why if I ever own my own school I would definately have to first have another source of income that takes care of ALL of my expenses, so I could fully dedicate myself to the school without worrying about it bringing me in cash. In other words I will never own my own school.

Then you have the lawyers. But that is a different topic.

ugh...don't even get me started on that. I can't believe every martial arts student signs a waver before classes that they "may" get hurt, but still somehow lawyers prosecute damages to schools and instructors.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 12:53pm

Originally Posted by Firebrand

Kidspatula stated.

I agree with you. But unfortunately, if full contact sparring including full force shots to the face became mandatory (strongly encouraged), most martial arts schools would not stay in business for long. There is a large cross section of students who are professionals who can't afford to go to work with a broken nose or black eye. Even schools that train alive are now reconsidering full contact sparring with full force face shots (can't make money if students get hurt and don't come back) except for those who want it.

Then you have the lawyers. But that is a different topic.

Who said anything about full contact, full force sparring? I very seldomly spar full contact. I keep saying, just don't have them all out brawling but instead keep it at a controlled level of cotnact and no one will walk away with owwies.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 1:15pm

Originally Posted by Kidspatula

instead keep it at a controlled level of cotnact and no one will walk away with owwies.

That made me laugh, but then made me angry because I remember an adult female student of mine who's alleged purpose for training (beyond being able to defend herself) is to kick her husbands ass unexpectantly.....she's failed apparently 10 times now trying to jump him, and has since told us that our system doesn't work...

...My friend then literally almost lost it, but somehow kept his composure and lectured her about how if she keeps leaving her gear at home (she keeps avoiding sparring), doesn't practice with a partner full force (she frequently over-exaggerates a sense of shock or injury when another student slams her on the mat) and constantly tries to skimp on the workouts (I have to yell at her more times than some of our 8yr old students about continuing doing pushups and not resting with knees on the ground) that she'll never get any better, and sure as hell won't be able to beat her 190lb husband.

You have no idea how many students walk in the door thinking I'm gonna turn them into Jackie Chan or Walker Texas Ranger within a few months. This entire ideology that somehow you can beat someone bigger and stronger than you without even batting an eyelash seems to have permeated every one of these dingbats minds out here.

**wyrdR** · Posted On: 2/01/2006 3:38pm

Question about upping the level of 'aliveness' to a class:
How do class members generally react when suddenly finding themselves sparring a lot more, a lot harder?
I'm interested in anyone relating a story of their experiences of doing this with/in their class - either adult/child classes; Any existing posts here worth a read?

TA