TMA will continue to be in demand for the same reasons it always has. And no, I couldn't because I would be wishing that I were teaching Jiu-Jitsu.
bsrizpac...Sam Pai Kenpo is not a TMA and you are still a clueless fool and a pussy.
NO! I couldn?t... just couldn?t
When I did TKD back in 1995 we weren't even allowed to punch to the face. lol, it was more powerful to punch to the solarplexus.
I don't even know if I could take a TMA. I'm old and injured now and want to take classes, but BJJ is too injury prone for me. If I got back into anything I think I would get into Muay Thai. I can take kicks and punches but I can't take blown out knees, shoulders or ankles from submissions or takedowns.
I'm gonna use the US as an example. TMA rose to such a high degree of popularity because of the Asian movement, which further mystified fighting, if it wasn't already misinterpreted. It all came down to marketing a product that gave you a false sense of confidence you could defend yourself, when there were perfectly acceptable products before the Eastern movement (i.e. wrestling, boxing, fencing) that gave you confidence, comradery, respect, resistance training, and other sportive qualities.
Resistance training gives you immediate feedback, informing you of what needs work and, in turn, as you get better, you will build more confidence. There is nothing false about that. It is the only means by which you can prove to yourself that you are progressing and becoming a better martial artist. Anybody can tell you anything you want to hear. But you can see the fruits of your labor in a rolling session or a boxing session; nobody can give you a false sense of reality in this situation.
This is the main problem with TMA, along with failing to each pre- and post-conflict situations for a real encounter (MMA may have this, as well). I'm not saying all TMA schools don't teach verbal deesclation, what to tell the cops, if you should strike first, stuff like that. But it's out there.
I remember speaking to a TKD guy. He asked me if someone wanted to observe his skill level, would I ask him to show me kata or sparring. I told him the truth and he did not like my answer. I said neither. Kata is nothing but dead patterns. It is pure memorization and not based on any cognitive motor skills. All of that crap will go right out the window in a real encounter. And while sparring is good, his type of sparring didn't employ any protective gear or resistance. It was, at best, light touching. There's no timing or motion being developed at this stage, which are essential. The fact is resistance training is the best way to become conditioned to actual combat.
Now some people take MMA or grappling for the sport of it. This is my reason. But the built-in sportive nature facilitates preconditioning for a real encounter. There's nothing like being punched in the face to prepare you for being puched in the face. Aggressiveness is probably the most important aspect of a fight and MMA is a superior fertile ground for such. Whether you take MMA for self-defense or sport, you're getting the benefit of training that could be put to use, if it gosh forbid comes to such a situation.
MA without sparring is stupid, but it isn't dead. Parents will pay for their kids to do something that they think is helpfull, while the real reason is to get them out of their hair. Stupid but reality.
No way. And I hate the fact that many are making BJJ into a "traditional" MA.
John
Absolutely. There are lots of people who want to learn MA and not beat the shit out of each other. MMA isn't the end all be all of martial arts and a lot of it doesn't necessarily translate well to the street. Having training in TKD or Karate alone may not win you a belt in the UFC, but it can still provide a child with some useful self defense skills and that was the original intention of martial arts from the start.
A lot of big stars in MMA have started out in TKD and Karate.
"I can't believe anyone on here would defend TMA taught traditionally"
i'm sure alot of people here who know absolutely nothing about TMA feel the same way
if you take time out to help kids with something positive and give them goals,you cant go wrong.kicking ,punching,its all good.
I could. And I still think there is a need for TMA in our lives... especially for kids. I can also guarantee you that I wouldn't be giving out black belts in a year or a year and a half. That is the number one issue that is ruining TMAs. It's not that TMAs are impractical or useless, it's that the instructors are handing out Black Belts to five year old kids and to families that pay a lot of money. The discipline is gone and greed has taken over the value of the teaching.
Damn good posts on this thread.
I teach karate and jujutsu (standing and on the ground). TMA?
I have my people spar with whatever level of contact they want. When sparring you can hit your partner with whatever you want as long as they can come back next week. If you get close enough to take it to the ground, go ahead. Once on the ground you can work for a sub or do GnP for a while.
We also drill striking only sparring and wrestling only sparring.
I've introduced some 2 man drills to get everyone comfortable with getting up close as opposed to the long range fighting we got used to.
I've kept 4 kata. They serve as starting points for learning to think out of the box. Will I keep them forever? Who knows. If they fail to serve the purpose I've given them, then yeah I won't waste my time or anyone else's.
The local TMA folks look at what I'm doing and don't know what the hell it is. I figure as long as I got that I'm doing something right.
"I don't even know if I could take a TMA. I'm old and injured now and want to take classes, but BJJ is too injury prone for me. If I got back into anything I think I would get into Muay Thai. I can take kicks and punches but I can't take blown out knees, shoulders or ankles from submissions or takedowns."
Shit, don't tell me that.... I am old and injury prone too... I am going to my first bjj class tonight. I couldn't take Thai anymore because I can't hold pads for 20 year olds that kick like horses.
It may sound crazy, but not everybody, practice martial arts, with the
intention of being a "bad ass"; Some do it for fun, health, a way to release
stress and even, for a some what spiritual thing, don't assume that
everyone does things for the same reason, and i do believe that there is e
place for TMA. just not in the cage.