There are traces of other arts, 17 styles of shoalin, monkey, shuai chiao, eagle claw, ba gua, hsing yi, tong bei, ground boxing etc. In any case, the curriculum at 8 step schools is pretty balanced. No art is the best, but our system is a good resource for fighting and healing knowlege. Most schools have active competition or open mats for challenges. I was taking out TKD blackbelts within my first week of classes using chokes and groundfighting. Most BJJ guys can relate. I sparred the Northeastern MMA Champ 5 few years back in Boston. I forget his name, nice guy, did BJJ. I rolled with him for a few hours, no hitting. What I learned was enough for him to say that I was the hardest person he had ever grappled with outside of BJJ. Our system and school is “traditional” in that it is for fighting. Every training aid, forms, drills, competitions etc is a means to an end, which is combat. We have had fighters in the UFC, regional MMA, San Da, and the current amatuer kickboxing world champion Asa Tenpow. But our focus isn’t competition. All schools follow the same curriculum. No 8 step school is a ten for grappling. I have taken out blackbelts in jujitsu using only grappling, but that is not our primary focus. Our primary focus is making well rounded fighters.
These competitions are on every tuesday night in China. They have the same style vs. same style…then they have the fighters do obstacle courses in between fights where they have to kick pinata type things. Its like American gladiators and fighting. Only you can’t hit to the head. They had some hong quan fighters who were way better. The taiji/baji/xing yi guys were worse by comparison. Everyone is doing still hits to the body, no shock hitting to internal organs. In spite of these shows, TKD/wushu is much more popular in China than anything remotely resembling real combat.
First of all, wrestling grappling is much easier and faster to learn than striking. My Taiji, like Tim’s is also 80% grappling, however. taiji is not about techniques as much as structure and princible. Basic taiji, just like basic MMA is mostly grappling. You can’t fight bare knuckle full contact more than once a week and be healthy. In fact you can only do it once a week if you in really good health and taking herbs, doing qi gong to rejuvinate. But you can do wrestling moves. I believe Tim is correct that this is why taiji has gotten so weak. I see the same thing happen in MMA schools where one guy pulls a kick to his partners face, only to get taken down…suddenly the “proof” is that striking doesn’t work. Pulled strikes due to mercy vs. Full take downs are to blame. Once the hits start really coming, taiji and mma will become more rounded.
UFC isn’t the only competition around. But to name one…Joel Sutton UFC 7. Faught as an alternate, won both of his fights. In any case, there are many capable fighters. Go find a school and test one out. Personally, I really care about the roar of any crowd. I just love the fight itself. I can get a mouth guard and a cup for under 20 bucks and fight anywhere. I prefer to fight people better than myself and to lose. It makes me better. I have fought countless streetfighters, martial artists, boxers and wrestlers. Having a crowd doesn’t make it authentic. If you want to see if 8 step is for you, go fight a teacher. Thats the litmus test. If you win, move on…if not, stay and learn something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVh0CDjD2Y demo clips of techniques.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xekuxqbDDqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yytEx8y9FwA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPvBQ_knV4 This kick wasn’t planned.
They are bigger people than the Chinese. Tibet has its own system of qi gong, medicine and martial arts. I wouldnt travel there to learn it though. Unlike other Chinese, Tibetals can own guns and…here the kicker…Tibetans are rich. The rest of China spoils them to shut people up who say “free tibet” Oh…BTW I’m sure China will free Tibet, right after the US “frees” the Navajo, Lakota, Arapaho, Texas, and Hawaii. The government subsidizes Tibet here, pays for lost Yaks, education in their own language and history, then no taxes. Tibetans come to the city to retire and buy condos. They are not pure spiritual people, they are just like the rest of us. Who wouldn’t like to be deemed a spirtual person and be given free money by some idiot from another country?
I just did…Don’t be a dipshit. Think about it, if you disagree, say why.
You can wrestle for hours, “full contact” its not the same as getting hit in the head and groin without pads “full contact”
As a result, you can learn the basic skills for grappling/wrestling much easier.
People rarely fight full contact, usually there is an element of control. You can grapple using all of your strength and apply submissions…you can’t do that with striking to the same extent. Otherwise you will break your training partners. You can ease into a joint lock, not a knock out punch.
Thats why most MMA have to segment…grappling in one class, striking in another. A pulled punch vs. a double leg takedown is ineffective. Dropping an elbow full force into the brain stem is another matter. Thats reality. Training is not reality, so we don’t strike as hard as we go for a takedown.
well, you missed the point entirely…too bad, you could have learned something.
maybe its your lack of manners that keeps you stupid…or maybe its that your stupid that you have no manners. In either case saying “who says” after I explained something makes you look a little dim.
If you want any further instruction, call me. It will cost 2 dollars a minute. I have no further time to waste on you.
two dollars a minute? you couldn’t pay me 2 dollars a minute…to listen to that drivel.
Why be so rude? post in the wrong place and get flamed did we???
get over it, grow some nuts, and a thicker skin…and come back, read the forum rules etc.
EDIT: p.s. that video had teh suck!
We now have two CMA guys with their own BS threads in trollshido.
Like we need another Black Eye for TCMA.
IIF, what thread did all this come out of? I’d hope no one’s judging CMA by these gents. damn, I hope not.
p.s. 7 TDs? your kids a monster, was it gamma rays? that’s some serious skillz.
All runs? special teams?
All Runs. Two in the first half 5 in the second half.
that’s heavy. Does he have a nickname yet? (or at least, one associated with football?
you know, It Is “steamroller” fake???
If not, he needs one…that’s impressive.
Duff would even be impressed!
Duff would be impressed…therefore Vince T would be impressed…therefore nothing.
The first step towards a football career.
get him wrestling stat.
I am so taking up wrestling grappling. It would compliment my hitting striking well.
Track First.
Wrestling next.
This is according to the defensive coach who played in the NFL.
I would do both but I have other kids who need their sports.
Could you clarify where you got this information from. Unless there have been some serious changes that I am unaware of I never witnessed anything like you stated above. I was in Tibet in 1997, Lhasa to be exact and at that time the Tibetans were dirt poor. The only people in Lhasa that had money were the Han Chinese that had moved there.
You make it sound like the wild west with Tibetan raiders walking around carrying firearms and shooting at each other in the streets. I seriously doubt that the Chinese government would allow the Tibetans to own or carry firearms. Why allow a people that generally detest your presence the opportunity to own or carry guns? You talk like going there would be a huge risk and you may not come back alive. I found the city to be very safe to walk around in and everyone to be very kind and friendly. They only people I saw carrying guns were a couple of teenage PLA guys with AK-47s (and I question if those guns even worked).
Rich my ass. There was a very distinct line draw practically right down the middle of Lhasa. On one half you had many new shops, hotels and apartments. This is where the Chinese lived. On the other half you had bulidings that were barely standing, run-down shops and hotels, and some areas that were comparable to shanty towns, this is where the majority of the Tibetan populace lived. Yep they were living it up alright.
If you haven’t been there don’t talk like you have.