yo sevenSTAR

[fa_jing]

Hi man, so you coming up for the SC seminar on the 10th? Where is your martial development taking you in terms of combining the arts you have studied? Do you apply chinese principles to the muy thai, do you experiment with different guard postions/stances, etc?

[SevenStar]

wtf? it's on the 10th? nobody ever told me a date. If I was good enough, I'd kick MS's arse for just saying "August". Since, I can't beat him, I just won't mention it :D I experiment with different things, mainly trying to work things in with muay thai, as that's what I am most comfortable with. Since starting judo, I'm trying to work my throws in with my sparring. Judo, SC and bjj blend really well, so I get to work all of that at once while I'm at my judo or bjj classes. What I am ultimately trying to do is make them all flow seamlessly.... I am far from being able to do it though :( yeah, I'll definitely be there for the seminar. If WD hadn't been training with MJ, I'd kick his arse too for not telling me. Besides, I gotta be nice, or He and Mrs. WD might not let me stay with them this time! :D

[fa_jing]

I too, take anything I learn and fit it into my wingchun, like my teacher has. And I come to the conclusion that I really need to work my wing chun to the fullest, you should probably continue your muy thai study at some point. Anyway we need to plan this thing, because there are going to be a big sparring session, probably in WD's backyard. But I don't know how anyone can go through a MS 2 seminar and have anything left for sparring. I'd love to get about 4 rounds in with you, guy.
-FJ

[fa_jing]

I'd consider taking the 9th off of work.

[SevenStar]

I don't see how that will happen either....unless we point spar :D

[SevenStar]

Some good sparring would do me some good. Here recently, judo and bjj takes up about 16 hours per week. Between that and being in the gym every day, I'm pooped. Grappling, lifting and bag work have been taking up most of my time.

[fa_jing]

I know you're a strong dude, that's good because I work out with two really strong guys...they're tough to deal with (one is impossible to deal with - my sifu) You have a good overhand right? Good right hook? Oh wait a second, you fight goofy footed, how is in Muy thai? what's an example of a combo? I'll tell you mine...

[SevenStar]

Actually I fight both ways. my left roundhouse is stronger than my right, so I fight orthodox sometimes to utilize that kick. my hands are comfortable both ways, but I prefer to fight south paw. combos are boxing like - jab/cross, jab/cross/hook/straight right/uppercut, etc. with elbows thrown in when I feel like it.

kicks are something like jab kick/roundhouse. for obvious reasons, I don't use those in big combos except maybe multiple roundhouses. I have a weird affinity for the hook kick - I dunno why - it's not emphasized in anything I train in, but I like the kick. Then of course, there's the good ole skip knee.

[fa_jing]

I like to knee alot in the clinch, WD knows ;)
I'm just started to get into throwing some elbows. I usually stand in an orthodox stance. I enter with a jab, or a low body shot, or sometimes try to draw your attention down with a front kick. I can kick from a distance but I try not do that too much, I don't feel like it accomplishes my goal which is to finish it off with the hands. I try (and fail :p) to use a lot of side to side and angled, WC footwork, but my mainstays are the two standard WC forward steps, one is a short forward step and the other is the exchange step where you bring the back foot to the front before stepping forward, very useful for kicking. I can throw a front kick that had a very similar base foot and hip mechanic to your rear-leg roundhouse where you skip forward to create momentum. I want to try some wing chun double arm blocks against your round kicks, I've heard that they may have a limited application against thai downward chopping kicks and I need to figure out how to read the kick to determine my response. Crazy, isn't it?

[SevenStar]

stepping off to angles is a problem for me also. something i really need to drill. As far as the kick - I dunno how easy it will be to read....the roundhouse can get thrown at three angles - upward, inward - cutting into body, and downward - they all start off the same though. On second thought, the block should be fine regardless of whether the kick cuts inward or down.

I heard about your knees...

[SevenStar]

****, MS2 just signed on. Think he'll see that comment about kicking his arse?

[fa_jing]

Well we have 2 blocks in particular against the round kicks, both provide sort of a scissoring action that absorbs force. One of them is fine but the other one, the bottom part of the scissors is your outstretched arm and this can be pinned against your body and your elbow snapped. That's why it need to be applied to a higher kick mid-stomach, not lower. I can sink in my stance somewhat - but don't want to bring my head down to your kick. The best is use my footwork to avoid the kick, counterkick fast, or block the knee fast with two hands. For some reason, I'm fearing your round kick, maybe because of what WD said :eek:
but it's going to be great to work with a kicker, none of my current sparring partners are kicking specialists really.

[SevenStar]

scissoring...like two inward blocks? I'm picturing you turning your waist in the into the direction of my kick, using two inward blocks to block the kick - is that correct? I can kick pretty hard - broken someone's ribs once, but it shouldn't be too difficult to yield or get out of the way. from longfist and karate, I've gotten pretty good with kicks like the crescent, spin kicks, etc. if you want, I'll throw mostly kicks so you can get some work against a kicker.

[fa_jing]

Correct about the waist, but if you think about it, both blocks are going in the same direction so one is inward and the other is outward. Also they are not hard blocks. Funny enough, my sifu beamed me twice last night, the first was a high roundhouse kick and the second time sidestepped to a clean whipping punch as I tried to side kick him (like a backfist but with a somewhat downward motion). Man it is tough putting everything together and just flowing. I look at my sifu and I think it comes from experience - most of my tools are already there, it's very mental, choosing the correct response and in time to make it effective. My sifu's buddy and old training partner, a karate guy, has come and worked with us for the past two weeks, it's amazing that he has the same elements to his game as my sifu - great footwork, effective blocking, avoidance, mentally and physically relaxed, knows how to use range, has a game plan, relaxed striker. I think it's the JKD influence that breaks things down into elements or catagories, rather than specific techniques. You choose the techniques from the arts you have studied to satisfy the element. Anyway I had a fun night sparring, 4 rounds with sifu then 2 rounds stomach taps with my Sifu's friend. I just can't relax and I try too hard at first, always, but by about round 3 I hit that exhaustion point and start to relax out of necessity, then things start to flow and I do better. My sifu is trying to get me to work more combinations.

[MonkeySlap Too]

SevenStar said: "I'd kick MS's arse for just saying "August". "

Reply: I'll meet you at the bicycle rack after class. If I'm not there, start without me.:p

[Water Dragon]

Not too sure about sparring at my house now. We're getting a new addition today; a 3 yr old 85 lb American Bulldog. She'll make one helluva mascot though. We're naming her Traviesa.

[SevenStar]

I thought you named her Rosey??