Uechi-Ryu.com

Good stuff guys. I hope we can get some more people jumping in on this...maybe a new thread is in order.

I would add a couple of other things.

1. Sport fighters learn how to improvise.

The adage that "no plan survives contact with the enemy" holds true in sports all the time. I've seen plenty of fighters who had great game plans before they got in the ring or on the mat...and then discovered that plan wouldn't work. The good ones were able to change plans and persevere. The ones who couldn't usually lost.

2. Sport coaches learn how to problem solve

This is connected to the above. Good coaches in all sports (not just combat sports) know how to see problems that their athletes are experiencing, and can develop drills, strategies, or training methods to address those problems. It's a very valuable skill, and one that can be easily translated into self-defense or traditional training, if you understand the principles behind it.

Look forward to hearing more ideas!

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http://honestphilosophy.blogspot.com/

Good post Jake.

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Van

I think that sport fighting, hard core sparring, and good life experience all add to a person's ability to successfully fight. As does attitude. And "attitude" can be a lot of different things. Attitude can come from a person's upbringing, their social environment, their job or passion, OR they can just have that attitude of a Dojo Rat. To underestimate the attitude and sheer danger of fighting a Dojo Rat is the folly of a fool. We sacrifice and we are tested every day. I think we sometimes forget that.

We, as long time Martial Artists, all look to the practical and the real for self improvement. We know our weaknesses and we know our strengths. We persevere. Always.

As for "open hand strikes" - ain't much better in life than a good Dope Slap. While the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, which we all use when it's there, that slap from the peripheral is one nasty bastard.