Fighters?

I remember watching UFC 1 when I was a lot younger. I've always had a decent knowledge of mma stuff (took muay thai in hs). Recently I've gotten back into it and have been watching a lot of Pride/K1 (Japanese fighting circuits). I have got to say, if you have any interest in fight sports, check out Pride. It's THE show for great fights and fighters. The production quality is excellent, a lot of money is spent to get the best fighters in the world, and the rules are action-friendly.

On a Denim streetwear note, one of my favorite fighters (fights in k1 heroes which is the mma branch of k1) is Genki Sudo who is the poster boy for Edwin Jeans. If you get the chance, youtube or google video this guy's highlight reels. This guy is super entertaining.

Matt, not all Eastern styles are impractical.

My first teacher taught me 2 very important lessons. The first was an extremely low guard that is really good for block pretty much all sort of kicks and punches and makes sweeps really difficult. This guard is really low though, and those hours of sitting in horse stance are necessary if you are gong to keep it for any extended period of time. The second was his much repeated mantra "Very much go crazy. Like animal."

The best fighter is the one who doesn't have to fight.

Originally Posted by johnapril

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The best fighter is the one who doesn't have to fight.

Chuck Norris just has to give you a sidelong glance with one eye and you piss your pants and go unconscious immediately. IME though, sometimes a fight is inevitable. But then again, I am not the best fighter

Originally Posted by johnapril

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The best fighter is the one who doesn't have to fight.


nobody can argue with that. Like LA Guy said - chuck norris never has to fight. but knowing how to take care of yourself can help, sometimes.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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The first was an extremely low guard that is really good for block pretty much all sort of kicks and punches and makes sweeps really difficult. ."

this is really helpful, I am sorry that this is not something that I have picked up. with the nature of soft contact sparing, people neglect their low guard, because they don't get kicked in the knee or shin hard enough to cry that often, and they are more worried about blocking the impractical high kicks.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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this is really helpful, I am sorry that this is not something that I have picked up. with the nature of soft contact sparing, people neglect their low guard, because they don't get kicked in the knee or shin hard enough to cry that often, and they are more worried about blocking the impractical high kicks.

The most effective move I ever learned was to look into your opponent's eyes, making him think about your fists, while breaking his knee with the sole of your shoe.

Originally Posted by johnapril

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The most effective move I ever learned was to look into your opponent's eyes, making him think about your fists, while breaking his knee with the sole of your shoe.

Works pretty well, except against guys that like to use the legs, are used to leg sweeps, etc... IME, my first reaction against any kicking movement has been to draw my knee up to catch the kick and then step down to either punch, or to bring the knee to his groin or shove him to the ground, (depends on the momentary reaction). Of course, the shoulders is really what you need to watch. Plenty of dudes telegraph their punches.

Originally Posted by johnapril

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The most effective move I ever learned was to look into your opponent's eyes, making him think about your fists, while breaking his knee with the sole of your shoe.


If you know how to break a knee well - you really don't need anything else.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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If you know how to break a knee well - you really don't need anything else.

Nearly impossible to get a good knee strike in in tournament or even streetfighting situations though, ime.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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Works pretty well, except against guys that like to use the legs, are used to leg sweeps, etc... IME, my first reaction against any kicking movement has been to draw my knee up to catch the kick and then step down to either punch, or to bring the knee to his groin or shove him to the ground, (depends on the momentary reaction). Of course, the shoulders is really what you need to watch. Plenty of dudes telegraph their punches.


I like to look at a point just above the solar plexus - like you said, people telegraph what they are doing.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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Nearly impossible to get a good knee strike in in tournament or even streetfighting situations though, ime.

In a tournament, that would be a foul.

In a streetfight, the best way to manipulate a situation in to a knee breaking opportunity is to pretend you are giving up and to turn and walk away. It is as your opponent charges after you that his knee is exposed.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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Nearly impossible to get a good knee strike in in tournament or even streetfighting situations though, ime.


that has not been my experience, on the street. my game plan has been to focus on a fast attack of strikes to the face with splayed fingers and the heel of the hand, tiger mouth and forearms to the throat, to set up sweeps and stompes to the knees, instep and ankle. I have never been in conflict with anybody who was both really good and prepared, but I have had good luck with knees.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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Are you living in Pasadena? If so, on the north side of Colorado, just a couple of blocks east of Lake, there is a Machado brothers Brazilian Jiujitsu place (not where I trained, btw) that is pretty good. There are actually a number of pretty goo martial arts schools in the area, but a lot of them (I trained in a few) are really testoserone filled (You can feel the teacher just wanting to shout "Mercy is for the weak! In this dojo, we do not train to be merciful!" and quite a few are filled with gangbanger types. Surprisingly, in full contact sparring, a lot of the tatted up, roided out types crumble pretty quickly (um, must be the smal balls). On the other hand, some pretty innocuous looking dudes can really hand it to you. There was one guy, just a little heavier than I was (I was about 165 at the time - over 10 pounds heavier than now) and really wiry, but a really unassuming guy, who had a punch like a sledgehammer. We were sparring, and he caught me right on the jaw. I had dropped my guard to lure him in, and he got in, but not the way I'd intended and I went down hard. Ouch. Only time I've been knocked out (took me at least 20 seconds to get to my feet) outside a boxing ring.

I agree completely. I played ice hockey for about 20 years and I could never tell by what someone looked like before getting into a fight. I've had ****** kicked by short unassuming, thinner guys and given some good beatings to 6'2" very intimidating players. One can't tell another's ability to fight by the way they look.

I also boxed for about a year or so and the loudmouth, tattooed, I can't wait to kick your ass guys went out with a punch.

I didn't get very far with boxing. I think it was the teacher. I am interested in learning the art of fighting and self defense, not because fighting is my favorite thing to do...

The teacher just seemed to want me to go into the ring and just fight. I am much more comfortable when I know what I am doing. At least teach me what I am supposed to do, I am not one for getting thrown into the pool to learn to swim. Especially if someone is punching me in the meantime.

Training for boxing was the best workout I've ever had.

globetrotter I've never heard of the style you mentioned. I'll have to check it out...

Originally Posted by johnapril

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In a tournament, that would be a foul.

In a streetfight, the best way to manipulate a situation in to a knee breaking opportunity is to pretend you are giving up and to turn and walk away. It is as your opponent charges after you that his knee is exposed.

This option also provide protection to your own knees and maximizes your kicking power (in this position, you would be delivering a rear kick).