In and out of TMA . . . maybe out for good now

**Hammer Fist** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 1:36pm

I used to box when I was in high school. The training was fun and very hands on with lots of sparring time and hard workouts. When I was in university, I started studying Tracy's Kenpo mixed with some shoot fighting and kick boxing. As I progressed in the system, I noticed that whenever I'd spar, it would essentially turn into a kickboxing match bearing no real resemblance to kenpo.

I've only ever been in one street fight, and I all I did was assume a boxing stance and throw punches, knees, and elbows to make space and get the hell out of there. All that fancy **** just fell be the wayside. I find some of the defensive movements like moving offline of attacks and closing distance taught in kenpo useful, but I was taught that in boxing too.

In any case, I went back to boxing, but then the gym closed down because of toxic mould or some **** and I decided to give kenpo another try to see if it'd get any better as I progressed through the system. Sparring is difficult right now given that very few guys at the club know how to actually fight and i'm getting majorly frustrated with everything. Some things we're taught work on a resisting opponent, but a lot of it is pretty useless.

I found a club locally that seems like a good spot that teaches BJJ and Muay Thai and has apparently produced a few pretty good fighters. The other cool thing is that there's something going on there every night. There's also a few good Judo clubs around, but I want to develop my striking because it's familiar to me AND learn some more grappling game at the same time. I'm not looking to fight in tournaments - I just want to stay in good shape and improve as a fighter because god knows it's a good skill to have.

Anybody here care to share some thoughts or have a similar story?

**TehDeadlyDimMak** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 1:47pm

Nice to see you saw the light.

Many people on this site including myself can relate to a similar story. Welcome to Bullshido.

**Hammer Fist** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 1:53pm

It was actually this site that made me re-evaluate my decisions and ask some questions I wouldn't like the answer to.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 2:10pm

Originally Posted by Hammer Fist

I used to box when I was in high school. The training was fun and very hands on with lots of sparring time and hard workouts. When I was in university, I started studying Tracy's Kenpo mixed with some shoot fighting and kick boxing. As I progressed in the system, I noticed that whenever I'd spar, it would essentially turn into a kickboxing match bearing no real resemblance to kenpo.

I've only ever been in one street fight, and I all I did was assume a boxing stance and throw punches, knees, and elbows to make space and get the hell out of there. All that fancy **** just fell be the wayside. I find some of the defensive movements like moving offline of attacks and closing distance taught in kenpo useful, but I was taught that in boxing too.

In any case, I went back to boxing, but then the gym closed down because of toxic mould or some **** and I decided to give kenpo another try to see if it'd get any better as I progressed through the system. Sparring is difficult right now given that very few guys at the club know how to actually fight and i'm getting majorly frustrated with everything. Some things we're taught work on a resisting opponent, but a lot of it is pretty useless.

I found a club locally that seems like a good spot that teaches BJJ and Muay Thai and has apparently produced a few pretty good fighters. The other cool thing is that there's something going on there every night. There's also a few good Judo clubs around, but I want to develop my striking because it's familiar to me AND learn some more grappling game at the same time. I'm not looking to fight in tournaments - I just want to stay in good shape and improve as a fighter because god knows it's a good skill to have.

Anybody here care to share some thoughts or have a similar story?

You seem to have already a striking game :) I'd say go for Judo since it's something most likely you haven't seen yet (plus it's fun to throw somebody and knock the **** out him:P), but BJJ and MT are great, too.

When I was in college, I took on Shotokan for about three months. I tell you, it was an excellent workout. Kicking a kazillion times, then doing push-ups on your knuckles, walking like a duck around the dojo and run up and down the stairs of a 5-story building really builds up your cardio and strenght.

The katas were cool, but after a while you go "hmmm, what the crap am I learning here." You want to give the benefit of the doubt, try to rationalize it, but at some point, you realize that it's not going to teach you how to fight, so I was out. :sad10:

I tried Kempo sporadically, and at least the instructor taught us the basics of boxing, plus the conditioning on how to take hits, specially to the abdomen, that was good. However, besides the boxing drills, all the other fancy **** is pretty much useles. :confused2

My best experience was at the Popovitch's BJJ school - it's been the most practical stuff I've seen, but had to stop cuz me got no $$$ to continue. And finally I'm taking escrima on Saturdays, pretty convenient with my work schedule plus it's more affordable, and it's pretty much bullshit free (so far.)

As time has passed by since my st00pid early-20's, I've learned about how much bullshit there is in MA. I was just about to try Aikido when I started to see the light. And this website has been a blessing for me when it comes to avoid the bullshido particles out there :read:

**Hammer Fist** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 2:22pm

Originally Posted by elnyka

The katas were cool, but after a while you go "hmmm, what the crap am I learning here." You want to give the benefit of the doubt, try to rationalize it, but at some point, you realize that it's not going to teach you how to fight, so I was out. :sad10:

As time has passed by since my st00pid early-20's, I've learned about how much bullshit there is in MA. I was just about to try Aikido when I started to see the light. And this website has been a blessing for me when it comes to avoid the bullshido particles out there :read:

Dude, that's totally what I'm going through . . . I just looked at what was working - punching, basic low kicking, knees, elbows, etc - and said "**** . . . why don't I skip all this dancing around and get back to hitting people and getting hit." My limited shoot fighting absolutely confuses the **** out of a lot of guys at my club right now because for whatever reason, they don't react well to sustained contact. Anyway, I've got a couple months left where I'm at right now . . . I'm totally kicking myself for paying up front when I didn't have to.

**Bry** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 2:55pm

I hear you. I really like where I am at now but I made a big mistake with my youngest daughter. I signed her up at the local Shoalin-Do place. After almost 9 months of training, I have not seen a whole lot of improvment in her ability to defend herself or even spar. I didn't sign a big contract, but she likes it. The monthly fee is affordable but the 15 minute tests cost $35 at lower belts and she isn't really learning anything.

And I didn't find this site until after she started.

Bry

**Hammer Fist** · Posted On: 3/01/2006 3:26pm

Originally Posted by Bry

I hear you. I really like where I am at now but I made a big mistake with my youngest daughter. I signed her up at the local Shoalin-Do place. After almost 9 months of training, I have not seen a whole lot of improvment in her ability to defend herself or even spar. I didn't sign a big contract, but she likes it. The monthly fee is affordable but the 15 minute tests cost $35 at lower belts and she isn't really learning anything.

And I didn't find this site until after she started.

Bry

Ouch . . . that's too bad. At least she's just young. Don't feel too bad because at least she's active and not a couch potato like a lot of her classmates. Also, no matter how inapplicable to real-life fighting some TMAs may be, they're a great way to get to know yourself . . . and i don't mean in an esoteric sense. She'll probably at least take away some increased co-ordination and balance from the whole experience, right?

I should point out that I've been to a few kenpo schools both in my area (the Maritimes in Canada) and when I was at school in Ontario and I have to say that I've been very lucky. Some places smelled of Bullshido over the phone while others were just shitty in practice. At least we do indeed punch and kick each other where I'm at, just not at a level most striking arts like boxing or muay thai would be at. There are a lot of really, really bad kenpo schools all over the place whose instructors are so full of **** I'm surprised they ever leave the bathroom. Anyway, no style bashing here . . . it's just not really what I thought it would be.

**Bry** · Posted On: 3/02/2006 10:22am

Hammerfist

That is what I keep telling myself every time I write a monthly check or the testing check.
I am afraid that if I pull her out and put her in another school she will lose interest in MA. So will probably let her float there for a while longer and then pull her out.

Bry