Webber

Wrestling is a sport that has seen much controversy in the past couple of years. Some have recognised it as an incredible sport requiring showmanship, strength and disci-pline, others see it as a fake sport that requires little to no skill. Regardless of how you see Wrestling, the question has loomed for quite some time now - how useful would it be in a fight? Well, to begin with, we feel it?s worth mentioning that although most wrestling events are choreographed, the moves performed and skills attained are of the highest quality and require utter control, tonnes of nerve, a lot of practice and loads of strength and training to pull off, but having said this, we must consider if it has any worth in a street fight.The first down side to wrestling is that it is usually very well rehearsed, and so on the streets the techniques and disciplines attained in martial arts that allow you to adapt to any situation or attack are lost. Also, because a lot of the moves are planned, the at-tacker is not used to a moving, blocking, fighting opponent and so the simulation of free sparring is not present.With this said, what you must remember is wrestlers are trained professionals, and there training demands maximum strength and ?toughness?. Even if the move is re-hearsed, it doesn?t mean that it doesn?t hurt! Wrestlers hold the key ability to withstand immense punishment and stay on their feet. Also, even though there moves are not used in live combat situations, their shows are based on true fight styles or combat techniques, and in the right circumstances, there?s very little doubt as to whether or not they could pull off some pretty impressive techniques. Wrestlers are also very good at throwing people! In a grappling situation, due to sheer experience a wrestler is quite likely to come out on top, unless the opponent has vast martial arts experience in grap-pling arts such as Jujitsu or Judo. So, with that said, as well as their general strength and fitness, it?d be fair to say that any wrestler, although not as skilled and capable in a live combat situation as a martial artists is more than likely to ?handle themselves? against untrained attackers.You must also consider that a martial artist trains to defend themselves, a wrestlers trains to perform a good fight for an audience. There are different motives, and different reasoning behind each. Although generally, a martial arts master is likely to beat a wrestling champ, you have to consider that champ up against an untrained person...

Ok, so as a martial artist and boxer I take the time, along side my physical training to study the theoretical (excuse my spelling there please) issues that related to fighting, discipline and perception. This is what is known as the science of eight limbs. It's quite indepth, as it was intended for our martial arts website, but I'm sure you can pick some good out of it if you are amateur. It's also a little old, so please do excuse any poor grammar or bad panounication.Muay Thai or also known as Thai boxing is a full contact martial art, which is termed ?The Science of Eight Limbs?. This is because the hands, shins, elbows and knees are all used extensively in this art. So a master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight points of contact as opposed to four points in other martial arts or two points in western boxing. This effectively gives the practitioner to debilitate opponents with any combination of the science of eight limbs. Muay Thai is a straightforward but brutal art practiced in many countries all over the world and is the national sport of Thailand. It uses gloves similar to the ones used in western traditional boxing and is fought in a ring. When I had first started Muay Thai it seemed similar and looked similar at first to traditional western boxing but after my first lesson my view on the art was completely changed forever. I don?t think it could be more different from traditional boxing as the style and feel of it is nowhere near the same. Muay Thai is such an interesting art to learn because there is so much to learn. Muay Thai now has watered down forms of it as a beneficial sport. These are typically called kickboxing. So this is where Muay Thai is a completely unique and devastating martial art. Muay Thai does although demand a lot of physical fitness. There are a couple of disciplines and conditionings involved with Muay Thai. Some of these include: shadow boxing, running, rope jumping, bag training, sparring, weight resistance exercises, medicine ball exercises, abdominal exercises and in some cases weight training just to name a few. Some of these exercises include full contact conditioning using a Thai pad, focus mitts or heavy bag. These can be physically demanding as the training includes long rounds of hitting pads. This can be from the using the focus mitts to spruce up your jab cross hook or using the Thai pads to master your roundhouse kick. The fact is there?s so much to learn in Muay Thai and at the same time is very enjoyable leaving you wanting more. Which means a good idea would be to find somewhere to train on a daily basis. It doesn?t have to be supremely decent place just somewhere that you can hit a bag around practice your techniques and combos a bit, maybe gain some power or speed in your punch or just to keep you in shape. It?s all up to you to decide what you want to get out of Muay Thai. Starting in the 1990?s Muay Thai became very popular in mixed martial art fights such as those held by K-1 and ultimate fighting championship. The Thai military today uses a form of Muay Thai called Lerdrit. Muay Thai began as Krabi Krabong, the Siamese weapon based style. Then when disarmed it went on to resort to unarmed fighting techniques which were centred around kicks and judo like throws. It then naturally evolved over time to become Muay Boran, the ancient version of Muay Thai. The basis of battlefield warfare advanced hand-to-hand combat was no longer need and so Muay Boran divided Muay Thasao (North), Muay Thai Korat (Esarn or Northeast), Muay Thai Lobburee (Centre region) and Muay Thai Chaiya (South). Each style emphasized something different. Muay Korat emphasized strength, there was one technique called ?throwing buffalo punch? because it supposedly could kill a buffalo with one punch. Muay Lobburee emphasized clever movements strong points being the straight and turned punch. Muay Chaiya emphasized posture and defence making it difficult for an opponent to attack, it stresses elbows and knees. Then came Muay Thai a sporting martial art kept alive in Thailand as a competitive sport but not only that for some people for others it is a way of life.

I must say, good message my friend! I instruct Judo along with a few other things and it beats all iconic misconceptions, it really is a useful art. Sure, some of the more competitive styles which go from the standing, grabbing position are perhaps a little unrealistic, but that said, it still teaches weight compisition, the basic techniques (I mean who can brake out of a an ippon sinagi?) and the physical conditioning to withstand this essence of fighting. In my experience, and i'm sure you'll agree, most 100% real fights usualy end up with the two going to ground, and knowning so excellent locks can make the difference between life and death. We, as a freestyle team teach and develop Combat Judo. It is similiar to any other style or form, except it encorporates punching, kicking, blocking - the bases of combat with the grappling and throws, and now that were on the subject - the slightly more agressive versions. The entire style and art is very productive and incredibly effective. I have been studying combat kodokan now for just over 11 years (I'm only 15!) and it's saved my life before, and I can tell you as a martial artists that studies over 9 over styles, it is one of the most useful of all of them. So good message mate, It's a shame you broke your leg, but I hope it wont keep you from the arts. Perhaps Aikido or Karate may be more suitable?

I think that the issue isn't whether or not you can talk him out of fighting, but instead how much force you use, for we all know that alot of the time if somebody is commited to seriously hurting you, then they are not your usual 'he man' punk, and that they are actually here to cause you serious damage, so at that point you do not consider talking as an option, and must become alert and ready for any physical encounters. As a martial artist myself, all that I can say is that if I was attacked, at that moment in time I would not be considering the legal implications of my actions. At that point in time it would be in my best interests that I simply focused on defending myself in any way that I felt it neccessary. To 'take it easy' because of the legal issues afterwards is almost certinally going to end up getting your head smashed in. Also, with the adraniline and 'tunnel vision' that often builds up during a fight, I don't think it'd be possible to think very much about the legal implications. I do not see how a judge of law could possibly prosecute you for any actions you do in a fight. So long as you don't start stamping on their head when there on the ground, or don't throw the first attack then you can pretty much assume that you are safe... however.. Not long ago in the UK Papers was a story that goes as follows:Two men were coming out of a club late at night in Manchester City, and they saw a group of 6 hooded yobs attacking a police officer. The police officer was now on the ground and being kicked - hard. These two men bravely raced over to the scene, and battled with these 6 youths. They took down 3 of them and the rest scattered and took off. When the police officer got back to his feet, he actually arrested the two men that had helped him out for assault. Now - if a police officer will arrest you for actually pretty much saving his life, you must wonder how any fight situation would turn out in court.. so my advise is simple - don't give them the chance to get you down. Worry about the legal side afterwards. Providing you fight on the right grounds (as in they attack you first etc) do what needs to be done, and nothing less to come out of the fight alive. It's often important to ring an ambulance and the police afterwards and stay with the attacker - this always helps you out in court..

Ever since civilisations were formed many thousands of years ago man has had to deal with individuals and groups of people raising problems through illegal and immoral ac-tion, and today is no change. With weapons such as the knife costing as little as one pound and available from just about any local shop it?s no surprise that we are faced with the issues and concerns that we have in today?s society. So, to begin with we must define what a weapon is. A weapon is an implement or tool that can cause bodily harm or damage when used in an aggressive manor. Wikipedia de-fines a weapon as ?a tool which can be used during combat to kill or , to destroy property, or to otherwise render resources non-functional or unavailable. It may be used to attack and defend, and consequently also to threaten. The use of weapons has been recorded since the advent of cave painting, and the process has been formulated resulting in both martial arts and strategic doctrines?. So with a broad mind to weapons, we can begin to look at what is more commonly used in today's society, and what implications this has on us. It?s safe to say that in the UK at the moment knife crime is the most dominant type of weapon motivated attack, although having said that gun crime within the United Kingdom is also increasing rapidly. So, with anything as small as a penknife concealed in a coat pocket right the way up to a submachine gun openly visible around somebody's neck it?s no surprise that we as a free-style club take every measure to ensure all our training is based partly around defeating an armed adversary. The honest truth is that there isn?t really much that can be done to crack down on this type of crime. Man has used weapons ever since the ?caveman? era and man will continue to use weapons until we are extinct. Governments try to beat the problem with weapon amnesties and more heavily armed police officers, but this is a small effort when you consider how many knives you have in your kitchen draw right now, and how easily you could slip one into your pocket on the way out the door. The truth be told, if your stupid enough to use a weapon, then you will be able to, and usually with considerable ease. The main problem is that people just aren?t educated enough on gun crime and knife crime. In 68% of all cases [independent source] a stabbing is simply ?accidental?. It?s all about image. A knife is drawn to intimidate the adversary. One thing leads to another, and before you know were you are, the attacker panics and takes a swing or the adver-sary falls onto the knife. Either way it?s not usually intentional, how ever it is the power that is received by the holder that drives these people to go to such measures. It is almost impossible to stop those more determined attackers. For the type of people that take a weapon or especially prepare a firearm there is nothing that we can do other than remain vigilant, because the odds of uncovering this is almost nil. As for spur of the moment attackers, we can prevent this. When you feel your self heating up, simply remove yourself from a situation. If you do go to grab something, drop it or smash it against a wall or table, not the head of the guy that you?ve just had an argu-ment with. The basic fact is that it is highly illegal, and in the UK for instance you will receive a 5 year minimum sentence now for just carrying a knife. The only thing we can advise is that you leave the knife at home. It doesn?t make you hard and it doesn?t make you tough. The home truth is a simple one, if you carry a knife, you can not use it, if you do you will be spending a greater part of your life in prison. If you draw it , you stand to spend at least 5 years of your life behind bars. Is it really worth that? If you are one that enjoys fighting, or finds your self in similar situations quite often, do not coward back to using weapons. Stick to martial arts as a source of self defence. Even if you use the knife in self defence, you are still liable to be charged for carrying an illegal weapon. We can make a difference in today?s society if we choose to be a part of it. Do not re-spond to knife crime by taking one with you, because you are adding to the problem. It is not necessary, and it causes more hurt and frustration than you can imagine. If you choose to draw a knife out, then ultimately you are choosing to kill somebody. Picture somebody you love, and now picture them being stabbed to death. Feel that emotion you would feel. Not very nice is it? Don?t be a mug - leave the knife at home.-- Just a little something to think about. The article it's self is heading for our website, but we thought we'd just stick it on here.. just to maybe inspire some responses reguarding knife crime.

Ok, so as a freestyle club, we are constantly trying to introduce new ways of 'getting the job done'. One of the things that we are introducing is freerunning, or parkour. So.. what do you think. Freerunning was originally known as Parkour, but it was changed by the media to freerunning so it could sound easier on the ear. As an art, it does not provide martial combat skills, but it does promote muscle growth in the lower body through shock training and ofcourse 'heavy weights' running. It can play a major use within a fight style, as it incourages the use of 'creative' movement. It would play an important role in escape and evasion, and possibly in use of chasing somebody. Parkour increases the chances of escape, by promoting forwards movement that is adapted to ones environment. This could mean jumping, rolling, crawling, vaulting, climbing etc... And is used for a quick method of escape. Freerunning however is a more commercialised spin off of parkour that has more emphasis on media attention and show man ship. This style is less effective and more dangerous, but will look more impressive, yet since when have we as martial artists ever worried about what looks good or not. All I would like please is your views on parkour and freerunning. What do you think. Which of the two would you be more incurred to join and perform. All comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Sean.

Timing your defensive techniques is one of the most basic techniques required to make a good fighter, but it's also one of the toughest.There are many elements that can effect your blocking, so to look at this in more detail, we have to brake it down a little. The sub catergories we will brake these into will be as follows:+Pre-Attack+Reflex Time+Considering A Defensive Manouveur+Executing A Good BlockPre-AttackPre attack is the most important of all of them believe it or not. How well you can intercept an aggressors intentions leads onto how much time you will actually have to block. There are many things that can give this away when somebody leads to an attack. Most people give indication of an attack through a raise in the shoulder before throwing a punch, or from dropping their stance prior to kicking or stepping forwards with an attack. (Note when we say raises the shoulder or drops the stance, we mean only very, very slightly... hardly even a visible amount, so you have to be alert) If this doesn't work, then a good place to watch is the eyes. Where the eyes look is a good indication of were the body will follow. Just remember that the best defence is a good attack.Reflex TimeReflex time is the element that makes your body move. It's what gets the block in quick enough, and then helps you counter with speed, aggression and mobility. It's hard to improve your reflex time, usually the best bet you have is to get down the gym and actually train. It's something that the body has to learn to do through exhaustive practice. Considering A Defensive ManouveurThis is the second most important part of evading. Often defensive manoveurs are only ever considered to be solid base blocks, well - it doesn't have to be. There are many variations and styles of blocking that switch between different styles. Muay Thai, for instance, creates a barrier with the body to stop any kick or knee from braking onto the body, whilst Shotokan prefers to evade the punch all together. For this example, we will focus with the techniques taught by Shotokan Karate. In Karate, there are two types of blocks. The basics - these are solid, set, long stances. They are effective on the street, but there not very practical against multipul attackers. Then you have the advanced 'Kumite' or 'Freestyle' blocks. These are performed at speed and rely mostly upon evading the attack altogether. By following this principle you can enable the attacker to 'shoot' past you whilst you simply step to the side. There is a massive variety of blocks that can be performed, but really it all comes down to what your comfortable with.Executing A Good BlockFinally comes actually executing a good block. This is were the pre-attack skills will gain you valuable time. Your blocks need to be fast, strong and flexible giving you total balance and control over a situation. Always remember to be solid on your feet when you block. Make sure your in a good stance to move and evade, and remember that once an attack has been commenced, if you block you should either counter attack immediatly or use your stance to quickly move out of the line of the attacker. This will stop them from commencing a second attack. Remember to consider everything. Solid base attacks mean your body should be tense at the point of contact with the attacking object, and your fist should be closed, whilst freestyle blocks should keep you light on your toes and should enable you to quickly step to the side. For this type of block, you simply 'brush' the punch to the side as your body moves the other way. --- extracted from our website --- Written By Sean Webber

Along with the many benefits gained from learning the martial arts, it is primarily a form of self defence, so how does the law look upon martial artists and their training?The most important thing that you must remember (and this is my own personal opinion, it is not the legal way of dealing with a situation) is to end it as soon as possible. Personally, I follow the principle, you attack me, I use everything I can to bring your down as quickly as I can. To me, it's a simple principle, and a proportion of my training. If someone tries to harm me, why should I consider their safety when fighting back? My way of looking at it is, and always will be to concentrate on finishing the fight there and then. At that procise moment, I would not consider the legal implications, because to me, getting out of that fight alive and well is paramount, and it comes before everything else. However, the law does not look at it in the same way.The legal system is constantly changing, and in today's world of politics and 'do gooders' it seems that the victims are very often treated worse than the criminals. UK Law at present (22/11/06) states that a person is entitled to use neccessary force when attacked. Now I know alot of you out there right now are thinking - well, what defines neccessary force? Basically, this sketchy line of advise means that you should attack to the level of the attacker himself, so for instance, if somebody throws a punch at you, you are entitled to throw one back. However, it does not mean that if somebody throws a punch at you that you may stab them.Basically, you have to apply neccessary force with control and a clear mind. Some believe that if someone attacks you, you should be entitled to cause as much damage as you can to the attacker, in protection of yourself, but this is not legal. In theory, if someone draws a knife on you, and tries to stab you, you are entitled to stab them back. However, with the British Legal system in the mess that it has been in, and still is, I doubt that this would play back in your favour. From the moment the first attack is thrown, you must think as if you are on trial. Do not do anything you wouldn't want to tell a judge. Do not move the attacker if he falls to the ground. Do all you can to save them if they suffer serious damage. Call an ambulance and the police and wait with the attacker (providing it is safe to do so) and this, in court should hold up. Just remember that it has to be in self defence. If you throw the first punch, then your the attacker, and they will throw the book at you. Be honest when talking to the police after the incident. Mainly, do not limit how you respond, just keep it within the same category, so if they try and punch you, use unarmed combat to fight back, if they try and stab you, use hand held weapons back and so on and so forth. Personally, if someone tried to stab me, I'd feel more competent using my hands to disarm them, but it is your own decision, and so long as it is within the legal confines of the law, you should be ok. Just remember not to pick up their weapon, or get your prints everywere. Do what you can to help the attacker, and call and ambulance. If you walk off, your in trouble - big trouble, and you may even be liable for manslaughter. However, having said this, we all know the type of culture around today, and very few attackers respond on their own, it's usually the hooded groups. If this is the case, do what you have to do, and escape. Then, once you are at a safe location, ring the police and explain your situation. So long as it is justified, you should not be at fault, however, as far as I am concerned, in today's legal system, the only ones not at fault are the criminals!Remember, your safety is paramount, but learn to respect the law, so when it happens for real, it comes naturally to you. I hope that you understand that when someone falls, you should stop. Only attack until they are no longer a threat. Namely, do not start thrashing them on the floor out of anger or pride, do what has to be done - nothing more. Ofcourse, it is always better to try and evoid the situation in the first place, but this is not always possible. With such a complex legal backing to street fights, trying to consider your actions in the heat of the moment is near impossible, but if you do act out of line, then you will have to live with the consequences. It is because of this principal that it is always a good idea to learn and discipline yourself not to attack unless attacked from day one, so when it happens, you do not jump the gun or do something stupid. Remember, when the adrinaline is flowing, it makes any logical thinking near impossible.Below is a quick guide line reguarding how you should try and handle a fight situation.+ Try and evoid the situation, or defuse someone that squares upto you.FIGHT BRAKES OUT - YOUR SCRAP - YOUR ATTACKER FALLS+ Quickly assess your surroundings and ensure that they are safe. + If there are any witnesses present, try and keep them with you to give a statement to the police.+ Immediatly put the casualty into the neccessary position (usually recovery position, if unsure, leave, but make comfortable).+ Call an ambulance, and then the Police.+ Remain with the casualty until the ambulance crew attend. + Explain to the police what has happened : note that you are likely to be arrested. Do not panic. You are innocent, and if you have played by the rules, then it will all become very clear. Act with courage, respect and control. Be calm. As soon as they interview you, they will understand, but until then, you must understand that they turn up on the scene and find someone unconcious, and you - the winner of a fight. They are just doing their job. Remember to keep a check of witnesses, and make sure you are honest and complete. Run through it in your head when they ask you to explain what happened. Be completely honest when they ask you questions. It is better to be honest, and perhaps put yourself into some trouble, but be credited to be the victim, than to lie, because you will be caught out, and this will damage your case.Make sure you understand what the police can and can not do. This can be located from our site map.Please remember : if somebody attempts to attack you with an illegal weapon - i.e: a knife, and you draw a knife after they attack and stab them back, even if you do not get charged with stabbing, you will be charged with carrying an illegal weapon, please bare this in mind.

Karate through and through As a teacher and as a martial artist, Karate plays a major roll in my overall fight style. I've been practicing Shotokan Karate myself for over 7 years now, and the style of combat that it encourages is without a doubt my personal favourite. Karate is an all round combat system, comprising of kicks, strikes, elbows, knees and open hand (knife hand) blocks and techniques, however it does encorporate many other styles of fighting. It's a complete art in my opinion. With some other martial arts out there I would not feel comfortable using their techniques without backing in some other areas. For example, except for Combat Judo, all over styles of Judo do not involve strikes, blocks and kicks. It is simply grappling and throws. For me, this would not be enough. Karate promotes solid, strong, quick unstoppable movements of immense force. In my opinion, Karate is by all means one of the most lethal arts that can be executed. So, perhaps your wondering if you'd be suited to it? Well, it's unlike Kung Fu or Aikido because it does not rely upon fluent movement. Instead it acts upon solid, strong movements. So, does this mean you have to be strong? Well no, not necessarily. It's the techniques used behind the kicks and the strikes that makes it so strong and solid. The stance is incredibly strong, and will help you pile in force. It's also a good art to learn if you wish to develope it further. With some arts your fairly limited, Karate however is not. It can be adapted, minipulated and advanced all over, and is a great basis to learn before moving onto more unconvential arts such as Ninjitsu. Karate consists of three basic sections. First of all, you have your basics. These are usually practiced everytime you train, and will involve striking, kicking, blocking and over techniques. Don't be falled by the name though, some of the combinations and attack are far from basic. The name simply refers to the fact that it is the basics of training. The second part is your kata. This is a set sequence of moves that is changed, adapted and increased in difficulty as you go up in ranks. It will comprise of more complex combinations and techniques as the kata's advance. These kata's are heritage, as they have been passed down for thousands of years. Then finally you have your kumite. This is set sparring for junior grades, and free sparring for the advanced grades. This can be as simple as a 5 step attack, block and then counter, right up to a full freestyle sparring session. There are also other parts that can make up a lesson, such as contact work on bags and mitts, fitness work with pressups and sit ups or special techniques such as throws and grapples. The belt rank in Shotokan Karate (KUGB) is as follows: 9th Kyu (Orange Belt - First grade) 8th Kyu (Red Belt) 7th Kyu (Yellow Belt) 6th Kyu (Green Belt) 5th Kyu (Purple Belt) 4th Kyu (Purple and White Striped Belt) 3rd Kyu (Brown Belt) 2nd Kyu (Brown With Single White Stripe) 1st Kyu (Brown With Double White Stripes) 1st Dan & Over (These are black belt grades) The belt system will rank between different styles and different governing bodies, but the principle is similiar. I find that Karate is incredibly useful for covering massive distances in attacks. I can safely say that Karate will give you the ability to travel as far as 10 feet to a target and land a solid attack due to it's incredibly effective lunge mechanics.. Karate will develope your mind and your spirit into an unbreakable force, and with that you will develope one of my all time fighting styles, Karate. It's totally trustable, and is very adaptable to any situation and any individual. Make sure if your going to try a couple of arts before settling that this is one of them. You will be impressed! Add to this if you wish or if you have any comments...

Hey everyone.. Just wondering if link exchange is the best way to go about advertising? What works best? Well, if anybody is interested I would like to exchange links with any other martial arts, boxing or extreme sports websites out there... preferablly from the UK, but also from the US etc... my address is http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ . If you add me just send me an e-mail and I'll be quick to do you the same favour. Thanks guys. Webber.

Ok so I posted a fairly similiar article a little while ago, but I have somewhat altered my opinion since... :It's something that is often considered by many when they reach a point during their training when the going gets tough. Although in theory the principle works, the logic doesn't. It depends entirely on how much you intend to teach yourself. I am a strong believer that martial arts and boxing should be developed from your own training outside of your dojo, and I believe strongly that once you have achieved a certain level of skill in martial arts, you can actually develope your skills - notice how I use the word develope. The key point is that you must have some foundation to build from. If you work on what you know, and perhaps build up a strong vocabulary of martial arts teachniques, experience and combinations then there is no reason why you can't, in theory teach yourself to fight to a better standard than that of which you currently fight of. It is when you consider fighting from scratch that you face problems. It's like building a house. If you start building on sand or mud, it's not going to be long before you foundation sinks and eventually your house collapses. If your not careful, even a skilled martial artist can end up reuining their skills. Remember that all that you learn during training at a formal discipline (such as Karate) has been engineered and passed down through the generations - it works. It's very easy to train yourself to do what we like to call ' fancy fighting '. By that, we mean a style that simply does not work, it looks good, and it may looks as if it'd do you good, but in reality it does not work because the basic techniques, principles and foundations that are key to success are not present. So to answer the question at all, we need to develope the question it's self. The question is it possible to teach yourself martial arts from scractch to a good, strong level? No. You can't teach yourself a style from nothing - however it has been known for people imprisoned or stranded to teach themselves to fight quite brutaly through purely hard, real fight training, however in our normal society there just isn't oppurtunity for this type of hardship and training. However - if we change the question to is it possible to teach yourself a new style - your style, providing you have a good understanding of atleast one art, and have good technique and strong foundation? Ofcourse. I personally would encourage anybody to try their own style. There will be a style of fighting, perhaps already discovered, perhaps your very own style that will fit you perfectly. I found this out when a couple of years ago I wasn't fully satisfyed with my Karate training, and so I began to train myself in what would turn out to be freestyle. It'll motivate you to train, and if done correctly it should make you a very strong martial artist. However, with this I will make one point very clear. Please do be careful with the way in which you train yourself. It's important to make sure youre not making the common mistake of self teaching rubbish. Make sure what your learning works by entering competitions on a regular basis, or sparring against another experienced artist. If done correctly, it can be very benificial, but the key question is that it's possible to teach yourself martial arts. It's not in my opinion possible to teach yourself something to a good level without profeshional aid. Even if you get the moves right, the foundation to it and the technique within will be weak and most probably not all that good. My profeshional advise - by all means if you know what your doing then give it a try, and it may be possible to teach yourself a general defence mechacnism, or freestyle variation - but traditional martial art - well, I'd have to say no, it's not.

I have to say that I will personally choose the Sony line. I've always trusted them. The ps1 when it came out was exceptional, and the ps2 is incredible, and the new one I'm guessing will be just as reliable. My experience with Sega (Dreamcast) and so the XBOX and that line is that it all feels a little 'floaty'. You never really seem to be in the game, or in control, and as for the Wii - well it looks fun, but it's a little inpractical, and the gameplay/ graphics are a little to be desired.

Ok, so I was inspired to write this after a conversation with some fellow boxers from my local gym. I would just out of interest like to find out how everybody trains, and if there is a trend between the intensity of their training and their related sport. As a boxer, and also a martial artist I have to say that I don't really follow a set program. I am very much one of the people that prefer to just simply train and train, and not make any days off, or set programs, or easy shifts, or 'rewinds' or what ever else the latest trend tends to be. I prefer to follow my heart and my passion for training. I do have a set routine that I will follow religiously. Everyday (usually before school), I will travel to my local gym and without fail train 100 reps of left jab right cross, and then 50 reps of a left jab, and 50 reps of a right cross, and then 50 of each arm of hooks. This I follow because I believe that for me as an individual this sort of routine and repitition seems to enable me to pick up what I do and engrave it firmly within my minds. This is similiar to the type of disciplined training I take part in at my local Shotokan Karate Club. Although I will push myself to perform the above routine (usually taking about 30/40 mins), I will, on most occassions train more than this. I train in a set class or some other type of training (swimming/rugby etc) almost every night of the week anyway, but I also like to practice my Karate in a similiar way to that of my boxing, also including kicking. I do enjoy training. I do enjoy working out. With this - I do also know my limits, and what I should and shouldn't do. Although I do train an awful lot, and although to many it seems insane that I train everyday on my own, and attend Judo/Thai Boxing/Karate etc most nights of the week anyway, my body has become acustom to this type of intensity (FITT Principle) and it really isn't as tough for me to pull off anymore. It works, and it really is effective, as it is based around the way in which I learn as an individual, and ofcourse, because I train with my intensity and work to overload in relation to my mood/energy levels, it means that I get the most out of my training. So how about you guys? What are you training for and how do you do it? Notice from BuffaloHELP: Topic title is important--modified

I don't think it should effect what you believe. I think it's great that you as a scientist, somebody that has learnt to except things for what they are in reality can be open to something that can not be proven. I don't think religion or belief is anything about science, or human nature. I don't think it can be jusified, anaylised or evaluated, because the truth I believe is that it's just to out of this world for us to understand or take into account, which is why I think it's fantastic that you as a highly skilled scientist can believe in something beyond the scientific realm. Personally I do believe in evolution, but not quite how it has been universally excepted. Either way, I'm sure if it was a 'God's' doings then he would see to it that we did not click onto what he/she/it was up to. Anyway, just wanted to say that it's really liberating, and really healthy. Nice one!

yeah work... isn't it crazy huh? I've been working in Stokes (yep... the greengrocers) for about the last 6 months, and I've finally got the hang of all the codes on the tills, how to use them, all the correct procedures, unloading the trucks and stacking the fridges - basically the whole job, and I can go to work now without any worries, although I don't neccessarily enjoy it. I just wanted to say about the women that had a go at you... At the end of the day, you shouldn't worry about people like that. It's obvious that she had something going on in her life, but the fact is that your still paid to work even when she's yelling at you. Just don't take it personally mate, it's obvious that your in a good working environment, because you can ring your boss and everything without worrying, so I just wouldn't let it stop you, because she's obviously got problems. People get like that. Bottom line is that your paid to work there, your gaining no matter how crap the day becomes, and you can leave, when ever you wish without permission (walk out basically) if needs be. Just bare in mind your working rights... Best of luck with the new job! Sean.

Hey.. ok, so I was thinking the other day, when life get's a little to confusing and theres just to much going on that usually the little things that make you smile actually keep you afloat. You see - you can wait around for the big things to come, and then go but if you wait around for them, you miss the other little bits of fun along the way. I find that it's the little things that you take the time to notice and appreciate that force a smile, or make you quietly laugh to yourself are the things that keep you happy at heart, and taking the time to enjoy them is important, because it means that you'll be taking life for what it really is... How about you guys? Do you agree? Is it the little things that make life so great? Write back plz. Sean.

I personally think that one of the best things we can follow in life is that hard days will make you... By following this simple belief any hard times will only make you stronger, and you will not be afraid of entering them because you know that you will come out the other end a stronger person. I also believe that there should be no rule book to live by. Just because something should be, doesn't mean it will be. The way I see it is - the more you believe that something should be a certain way - the more likely you are to be dissapointed. Yes - bad things do happen to good people, but so do good things, and yes, good things do happen to bad people, but also so do bad things happen to bad people. My words of wisdom on life has got to be... live for the moment, because you just can't predict the future... Sean.

Hey me_boxer_dude,, What can I say man... It's insane.. It's not the way it should be, and there was nothing you could do. I just want to say that i share your passion for boxing and martial arts, and from what I know from experience, it sounds like although you were injured quite badly, you did alright for yourself. Don't give up on that dream of yours, no matter how bad it seems. I had my knee cap kicked clean out of my leg at the 2005 Jane Kuan Do nationals. I was in a german hospital for a month afterwards, and they told me I'd never walk again. Now, a year on and I've already co-founded my martial arts team (a dream of mine), graded just yesterday to 2nd Kyu in Karate and I still do Judo. They said I'd never walk - it just got me going stronger, and although the odds were against me, like anything mate, as I'm sure you'll know if your mind is on it, you can achieve it. I just want to say don't give up man. The drummer from Def Leppard played with one arm... Man has climbed a mountain with no legs, blind fighters can win the judo games... just don't stop aiming high man.. it's inside, and your obviously a strong person, I can pick that up already, and I have total respect for you, so I just want to wish you the best for the future, and tell you - don't stop believing mate. Total respect...Sean.

I just want to start of by saying that i am a follower of religion - Buddhism, and as one poster seemed to believe that anyone that follows religion is weak well let me assure you that this is not the case with me. I've lost my girlfriend in a motorcylce accident, and my mother, and so many friends and family in my life time already, and I've lived to achieve some pretty worthy things already, and I've never so much as buckled. I believe religion not to be a 'fall back' point for support, but the human urge to discover and explore. When you embark on a religious quest you are infact exploring yourself, your soul, the darkest depths of your personality and your wildest dreams. That can't be compared to. Does it exsist - absoloutely. Does it just exsist in your mind? Well - who knows. All I do know is that there is a lot that can be gained from religion, and it's not just a post to fall back onto when your feeling weak, it is a way forwards. Sean.

There are 101 good reasons not to engage in the fight, however frustrating it may be.I know how bad people can piss you off, and i know it can get to you, but not only are you putting yourself into danger by engaging in a fight, your also braking the law.As a martial artist, were often reminded of the severe dangers that come from fighting, and it is very moving to see the results of real fights. Fighting should only be used in self defence,as an absoloute last resort, nothing no matter how annoying it may be should ever warrant you to lash out. If you really do not believe that you have the self discipline within you to leave it be, perhaps just tell someone, explain to them what the problem is, and also say if they don't do anything about it, you'll smash his head in - can't say much fairer than that.. then the schools had warning, and it's hardly a 'sissy's way out'. Either way, I wish you the best of luck, and hope it works out ok.

Ok, so we all know how the story goes. Hitler commited suicide in his high command post bunker buried within the German capital of Berlin at the end of the war, as Russian troops closed in from the right, and the Allies from the West. But did he really do that? No remains were found, along with no signs of murder or suicide. To further go with this, we also know that no high class officials that assisted Hitler were found in the bunker either. Now, they said that no bodies could be found, however, other German soldiers and administrators were found on the site, and within the same bunker after it was shelled out by the Soviet's. Now answer this, why would a man, so powerful, with an entire army at his mercy simply wait on what was called an 'honour' death? We know that Hitler had a number of Allied and Soviet aircrafts captured throughout the war, all of them were actually able to fly, and yet it's believed that perhaps he didn't fly out? Why would somebody with that much power, and that much vision simply wait to die? There is a conspiracy that Hitler did indeed take one of these many aircrafts and fly to safety somewere in the South of America, possibly Argentina. This, to me makes perfect sense. I do not believe that a man such as Hitler would actually 'wait to die', I also do not believe that he would commit suicide, simply because of his principles. What makes more sense to you --- : 1 :- Hitler decided to 'give up', and commits suicide moments before his bunker is shelled, how ever, he knew for quite a while that this was coming, and had plenty of time to 'move out' if he chose to, but instead decides to stay.: 2 :- Hitler, knowing full well that the Allies were close to Berlin decided to flee, with a number of high ranking officials and took a captured Allied plane and flew to safety to the south of America. It's just a thought... and perhaps if he did successfully escape, then he may have a family out there, a child perhaps?? Creepy thought huh! Well, what do you think happened to Hitler!?

Weight training is perhaps one of the toughest, and most dangerous types of personal developement around, so making sure you get it right, and keep it safe is always important. All I'm gonna do is just briefly cover the issues of Isotonic, Isokenetic & Isometric weight training, and hopefully give you a little more target in your weight training - and hopefully get you thinking about what you really want to achieve.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISOMETRICIsometric weight training is the tension of a muscle, without movement at a joint. For instance, if you were to lift a 20kg dumbell, and keep your arm contracted, and not make the 'usual' tension and relaxation method, and instead just keep it held steady, it would be isometric weight training. A good way of remembering it is remember Isometal training, metal being a solid, as in solid arm, the arm does not move.This has it's advantages and it's draw backs.The main advantage is that it improves the ability to push or pull something, or hold it steady. This is especially useful for certain profeshions, sports or martial arts. It is also often thought to be 'quick to do', and be less painful mentally and physically than isotonic weight training. Finally, and perhaps one of the greatest advantages of Isometric training is that it is cheap, easy to do, and can be done just about anywere.The disadvantages are a somewhat large drawback, if you do not take into consideration before hand the sport that you wish to train for. The main disadvantage is that it only builds up muscle at the angle that the arm is tensed at. This can cause problems if you tranfer your training to the 'streets', because you will loose your strength until the point that you reach your 'trained angle'. Another major problem, and something that we must stress the importance of considering, is that when you train in this manner, it restricts the blood flow to that muscle, and restricts the blood flow back to the heart. This can be especially dangerous if you have heart problems.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISOTONICIsotonic is the most common form of weight training. It is Isotonic training when the muscle contracts and then relaxes over the full flexion of the joint. This is the most common type of training, and is most probably the type of lifting that you are most fimiliar with.The advantages are that you can train the entire muscle, at all angels, giving you an improved overall strength. It is also great for training yourself for specific sports, such as judo, discuss or javelling.The disadvantages are that it can make the muscle sore, (get over it!), and it does not train the muscle evenly.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISOKENETICIsokenitic training is when the muscle strengthens and relaxes at a constant speed and weight. For this type of training, you need special equipment that detects when the muscle is speeding up and slowing down, and that can then adjust the weights of strain to compensate for this. Guess what - it aint cheap! The advantage is that it builds up muscle very quickly, and evenly throughout the entire muscle, the major drawback however is that it is incredibly expensive, and so only specialist gyms can afford it.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The type of weight training that you do depends entirely on your motive for training. We've stuck togeather a quick list of sports that are best suited to different training.ISOMETRIC+Possibly some style's of Judo, boxing maybe..ISOKENETIC & ISOTONIC+Most sports, and general everyday use. All sports are best suited to either of these types of weight's training.Just remember to make sure you know what you want to achieve when you start off, and remember that it takes time, so be patient. Always make sure you are aware of safety!

For many, it is believed that aggression is the winning element of a fight. They believe that it?s this rage that overpowers the target and gives you that animal drive. Is this the same to you? Do you believe that to be truly successful in a fight you must be seeing blood and fuming? Well, if it is I ask you to consider something else, another possibility; motive. Although when you feel so angry, that you feel the blood boiling beneath your surface that?s the winning element right? Well, maybe it?s wrong. In fact, from experience I can tell you that usually when your seeing red it doesn?t aid you at all, in fact it actually limits your skills, and crushes your techniques. Those little, minute yet vital techniques are missing from your fighting, and it is those minute little skills that will cost you your life. We all, as martial artist understand the importance of being relaxed whilst we spar, and being controlled when we fight, and we all know how paralysing fight adrenaline can be, so how come we need aggression? The idea I wish to raise here is that instead of requiring uncontrolled aggression to come out on top, it?s actually the motive that is required. I ask you to picture the following; you are in a dark alley, walking through with your girlfriend, and suddenly, three assailants appear ahead of you, one with a knife. Now imagine, after a brief stand off, you get your opportunity to strike the knife man, and you grab his wrist?Now, your faced with a situation. It is your fight, you have the advantage, and the price for loosing is the safety of your lover. What is more important? Aggression or motive? Picture a clumsy, ignorant martial artist trying to brake through everyone. They make mistakes: they don?t look over their shoulder, they don?t relax their arm until the second they strike, so they end up throwing slow, weak punches, they don?t twist the hips kicking, they don?t keep an eye on their sweetheart. That is the aggression. Now picture someone that wants to fight not for the fun of it, not out of anger, but purely to protect the girl he loves. Picture the controlled, focused aggression at correct points. With the correct motive to fight, there is not an ounce of his body that must condemn what he is doing. He checks his back, keeps an eye on the target, keeps a controlled fight motion, fights with honesty. Even in the build up to the fight, that passion, that winning element, even if it is just a 2% winning element, that passion is there. With that comes the extra attention, and so he does eye up every attacker, and work out who is the most dangerous, and who is a threat. The aggressive man misses this sign, just as he misses were the knife is, and ends up becoming his own worst enemy.With hope, I have explained my opinion here well enough to make you think. Do not fight with blinding anger, because that is all it is - blinding. Do not throw needless cold punches, fight with control, pride and honesty. When I say honesty, I mean fight with a just cause. If you fight because you must, in self defence of you or a loved one, then you will not be limited. If you set upon someone with no motive, or fight back with unnecessary force, your body, maybe even subconsciously condemns what is happening, and so will hold back. When this happens you end up shooting from any empty gun, because it comes from your mind, from your heart and from your spirit.

In response to shadowx, I have to disagree I'm afraid. How long did you actually study Karate for? Amongst overs, I have been studying Karate for over 6 years now, and i can honestly say that it is really, really effective. If the opposition does not know any martial arts, then it gives you even more of an advantage. It sounds as if you never got past the basics mate.. Well, when you reach brown belt and above, you begin to learn freestyle blocks. These are effective against multiple attacks at high speed. I do agree with you though, that, for a large part of it, Karate can be dated some what. It's just when you get towards the top end (3rd Kyu and above) that the game get's rolling. I think if you just want to learn an art for pure brutality, then Thai Boxing might be a place to try. I also train in Muay Thai Boxing and that is a very solid street defence style of martialarts/boxing. I know for a fact, that only the basics of martial arts will focus on co-ordinated attacks and block sequences, but again as soon as you become more experienced at the art, it will once again evolve, and become more in depth and complete. Karate is a very long stance art, which makes it, in places a little tricky to use, but again, once your 3rd Kyu or above, you learn the freestyle stance, and so this isn't much of a problem anymore. As for the point your making though shadowx I do somewhat understand were your coming from, you just have to believe mate, that once you keep it going for long enough the results are absoloutely incredible, although to be honest if you want to learn ultimate street defence you should take up Freestyle martial ars - a pure combination of boxing and different martial arts. That is what really bags results. Linking to the first question again, (I know I've said this once already), you can be the biggest, strongest guy in the world, but it only takes a small, weedy little guy that's got a bar to take you out, or equally it takes a standard sized chap that's made it to 1st Dan. If you want to learn to fight, for self defence or what ever, then it must be martial arts. Weight Lifting is only really a complimentry thing to do, it is good to train and become large and muscly along side martial arts training, but the most important thing is the training.. Try different styles. Often Kung Fu and Karate. Kung Fu is a flowing art, and some take this, Karate is a solid, strong art, and others take to this better. Just try a couple of classes and find something you really enjoy before you commit yourself to it. Sean.

I use MSN, simply because it's fast, completely free (yaaay!), and has a massive network, with more people connected to it than anyone else. It offers alot of support, and an easy to use interface. Mostly though, it is because you can simply get into contact with so many more people than any other servers, and because all of my friends and contacts use MSN.