Karate as a jitsu

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 1:42 am

I like karate and do it for a simple reason, I like to fight full contact. Does this make me a bad karateka or just a brut?

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 1:48 am

It makes you someone who enjoys full contact , It could give you valuable experience in real fighting , being a brute has nothing to do with karate or full contact fighting .

check out those full contact Kyokushin clips on Sensei Vans forum , I doubt anyone would call them Brutes , or bad karatekas

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 2:06 am

If you like full contact, you like full contact. There was a time I was into that, although I chose to scratch that itch via traditional boxing.

We have a few Uechika - such as Joe Pomfret - who also have dabbled in full contact big time. Joe fought about 10 fights in a NHB arena, and was more than successful.

Full contact among consenting adults is an age-old practice. Even in the "No holds barred" arena though there are rules. Few people really want to go out there to maim and kill. They just want to test their mettle by putting themselves at risk. I suppose doing volunteer work in nursing homes is a more noble pursuit, but you could do that and kick bootie too.

Truth is, the art needs some of its practitioners to put things to the test now and then. It's a reality check, and does much to thwart the advances of "the lotus eaters."

I might also mention though that the following are EQUALLY valid pursuits in the martial arts:

* Point fighting
* Kata competition
* Karate for physical and mental health
* Karate as a social activity
* Karate as a study of the art of human conflict
* Karate as a study of ancient ways of combat
* Karate for self defense

And so forth. And don't let some blowhard tell you otherwise. As long as there is truth in advertising and the school delivers, it's all good.

- Bill

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 2:42 am

I usally find some traditional karate teaching who tells me that full contact has nothing to do with karate. I agree with Mas Oyama, full contact is one of the fullest expressions of karate...if your using karate waza. I love kata and kihon but I like the sting of a leg kick or the pain of a knee hitting your gut.

I'm not crazy, just young and silly.

My brother won his first mma fight in Sep. We are shotokan karateka and judoka. OSU!

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:51 am

Good mix!

M. Keller · Post by **M. Keller** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 4:57 am

Hello all,

Full contact is great, if you can don't mind healing for a few days between sessions.

Bill-sensei, I didn't realize that you boxed. I've been playing with a few boxers down here, and I'm enjoying it. It's a heck of a wake-up call. The gloves are taking some getting used to (I absolutely hate not being able to block with a palm), but I'm adjusting. My only other issue with the sport is the imbalance between the punching level and the rest of the arsenal. When someone is tossing full power punches at me, I want to get inside and knee and elbow them at full power. That doesn't seem to fly in the boxing schools.

Mike

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 6:03 pm

Karateka,
Have you competed in Judo as well? I saw you train in that also, like me.
That's something you may enjoy.
F.

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:42 pm

f.Channell wrote:Karateka,
Have you competed in Judo as well? I saw you train in that also, like me.
That's something you may enjoy.
F.

I did in high school but haven't done so in about 5 years. It was too taxing on my joints. If you compete you know what I mean. Almost all judoka that I trianed with have bad knees.

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:07 am

Karateka,
Been competing 3-4 tourneys a year.
Knees are good, just had my 20 year high school reunion.
F.

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:54 am

Mike

Back in the mid-1970s, they still had intramural boxing at U.Va. In fact, many fraternities required their pledges to enter the yearly tournament in the spring as part of their initiation process. In any case, the Uechi club had a 2-time intramural champion as Uechi karate club member. (Being the intramural champion means you won your weight class in the spring tournament and were judged by the panel to be the best boxer of all classes). The guy's name, BTW, was Mack Fischer.

Mack taught me to box. I then went to the Charlottesville Boxing club (a Charlottesville Parks and Recreation program) to continue my training. I did it for about a year.

I really like boxing a lot as a full contact venue. With all the equipment they require you to wear in the amateur arena, you're not likely to get permanently hurt unless you make a habit of blocking with your head (which some people do). I actually liked it a lot. At the time I loved to hit people hard. There's a certain sadistic joy that comes from ringing someone's bell. The experience taught me to be a head hunter.

Some of the block and attack interpretations of Uechi that I teach come from my boxing experience. I hear people questioning things I teach, like the "answer the telephone" block against a right hook (as interpretation of the seisan jump posture). They can question all they want; I made it work like a walk in the park against folks trying to take my head off. That's what I like about the full contact arena. Folks can mouth off all they want in cyber wars. But then the performance in the full contact ring speaks much louder than cyber bravado.

Good lesson for everyone - at some point in their training. Like in the Nike commercials, just do it. See what happens.

- Bill

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:00 am

Almost all judoka that I trianed with have bad knees.

As in many activities, these types of injuries would be minimized with a proper weight training program as a complement to the sport activity.

Squats, leg extensions, leg curls, power cleans, etc. are vital to good knees. They not only make the muscles stronger (which protect the joints), but they improve coordination as well as make bones and ligaments stronger. All this serves to protect your knees.

I wish I had started my consistent weight training earlier in my life... But it's never too late, and you are never too old.

- Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:34 am

Weights are good on the other hand cruising on a pair of 220's is good for the knees as well.
http://www.skibanff.com
Better get training those knees Fred.

Laird

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:08 am

It should also be noted that bad knees are common in all sudden stop and go type sports. Wreslters and Judoka have it bad due to the sudden stop and landing on the knees (not often but it does happen).

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 6:50 pm

Hey Uglyelk,
I plan on being on my boards day after thanksgiving if Ullr the snow god cooperates

.

Most Judo Dojo do lots of squat drills and other stuff to develop the legs and knees, but some just you just walk in and fight. Judo has actually helped out my skiing quite a bit as well as my general fitness.
F.

Bone · Post by **Bone** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:30 am

Judo and Karate are a GREAT mix!!!! I love the Judo throws and find them a great way to compliment punching and kicking and grabbing in Uechi-it all flows!

Hey Bill,

The "answer the telephone" technuiqe that you teach to block the hook to the head are you teaching exactley like kata with elbow pointed out or with it pointed at the opponent or somewhere in the middle? I want to monkey with this a bit, it sounds a lot like the way the Gracie Family teaches to enter if the elbow points at opponent. But if not let me know so I can tinker w/it. Thanks!