What would you guys wish for most in a MA website?

[andyhaas]

Just curious, if you had to make a wish, what kind of martial arts website would you wish for the most? What kind of content or features would you want to see most? (Or something you aren't seeing at the moment?)

[hskwarrior]

i'd like to see some more of this

MA CONTENT (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-am9kvmxHlA/RvCLi4ZdHmI/AAAAAAAAAtc/tow_9Exi6dw/s400/female-ninjas.jpg)

or even this

here (http://meromo.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/story-book-09050-sexy-pirate.jpg)

[andyhaas]

What I used to want most was a comprehensive listing of references, techniques, etc. from different martial arts.

The problem is ... since I already practice a MA, I don't really want to study any other MAs anymore, so I kindof don't want that anymore. I used to want to study other MAs to get ideas like online or from videos, but it's kindof useless unless you've taken a class.

I was thinking of starting a website, and documenting my baguazhang (I actually already started on a site, but only have one page) ... BUT that competes in a way directly with my instructor's book. I don't think I could do as well as he has done in the book, though, and I could cover other topics, though. I don't plan on putting anything from the book on the site.

[David Jamieson]

I'd like to see progression from form to fight stuff more.

so many people show solo forms stuff and that's ok, but almost no one shows any of those techs being used in drills or in fights.

I'd like to see someone do a form, extrapolate a part and demonstrate it's use in a drill and then show where it is used in a fight by taking it out of the clip.

this way, people can see the difference between a text book move as it is performed in a set and how the actual move looks when used for real.

for the most part, solo forms work vids are weak as far as practical use instruction goes.

I don't know why, but it is the classical arts that get cut off before the finish in this respect. NOt to mention all the garbage and convolution that comes with the "we learn not to fight" stuff. But that's a whole other thing worth it's own thread. lol

[andyhaas]

I don't know why, but it is the classical arts that get cut off before the finish in this respect. NOt to mention all the garbage and convolution that comes with the "we learn not to fight" stuff. But that's a whole other thing worth it's own thread. lol

I think it's because they don't trust people to learn the techniques until late in the training cycle.

My bagua instructor spent like 4+ years putting me off learning apps and the entire time I got really annoyed because I wasn't learning to use the stuff. He kept saying that people didn't learn the apps until the end.

Then, in the last year or so, he dumped a TON of apps on me and they were really good -- practical stuff, no fluffy stuff at all.

BUT ... if I had gone out and hit somebody or caused trouble, it would have led to a bad reputation for his school, etc., so that's probably part of the reason.

Anyway, IMHO very few westerners have actually learned the apps to the Chinese forms, which is why there are so few apps taught. But once you have apps, drilling them with other people is a problem if you study different MAs, etc., because most Americans expect a student->teacher relationship or dominant->submissive type relationship and it seems to lead to arguments in training.

[David Jamieson]

I think it's because they don't trust people to learn the techniques until late in the training cycle.

My bagua instructor spent like 4+ years putting me off learning apps and the entire time I got really annoyed because I wasn't learning to use the stuff. He kept saying that people didn't learn the apps until the end.

Then, in the last year or so, he dumped a TON of apps on me and they were really good -- practical stuff, no fluffy stuff at all.

BUT ... if I had gone out and hit somebody or caused trouble, it would have led to a bad reputation for his school, etc., so that's probably part of the reason.

Anyway, IMHO very few westerners have actually learned the apps to the Chinese forms, which is why there are so few apps taught. But once you have apps, drilling them with other people is a problem if you study different MAs, etc., because most Americans expect a student->teacher relationship or dominant->submissive type relationship and it seems to lead to arguments in training.

Let me get this straight, if you go out and use your martial arts successfully that would shed bad light on your martial arts school how?

[andyhaas]

Let me get this straight, if you go out and use your martial arts successfully that would shed bad light on your martial arts school how?

Well, how can I put it ... going out and fighting and starting trouble = bad in general. Sometimes teachers check out the character of the students. If the student go out and start fights and get into trouble it could be bad for the school in terms of reputation.

[David Jamieson]

Well, how can I put it ... going out and fighting and starting trouble = bad in general. Sometimes teachers check out the character of the students. If the student go out and start fights and get into trouble it could be bad for the school in terms of reputation.

I think more often than not it's bad for the school reputation if the students keep getting their asses whooped. lol.

I don't need a character reference in a boxing gym, why should i have to worry about it in a kungfu school?

most of these mechanisms are face saving game nonsense. there are a lot of classical martial arts teachers out there in other words who couldn't "fight" there way out of a wet paper bag, hence all these mechanisms to ensure that nobody actually finds that out.

Call me a barbarian if you will, but the face saving game is for sissies.

[Oso]

bewbies!!!!

[Lucas]

bewbies!!!!

**** you, you keep stealing my thunder oso! :mad:


i had this friend who studied olympic tkd. at one point there was an imported teacher that came over from korea. the guy was a champ. he took over training my buddy, because he had a competition coming up (which he did take gold in) part of that new teachers advice was to get in street fights. which my friend did.

good or bad?

[Oso]

**** you, you keep stealing my thunder oso! :mad:


i had this friend who studied olympic tkd. at one point there was an imported teacher that came over from korea. the guy was a champ. he took over training my buddy, because he had a competition coming up (which he did take gold in) part of that new teachers advice was to get in street fights. which my friend did.

good or bad?

i don't want anyone's thunder...just the bewbies!!!!!

[andyhaas]

**** you, you keep stealing my thunder oso! :mad:


i had this friend who studied olympic tkd. at one point there was an imported teacher that came over from korea. the guy was a champ. he took over training my buddy, because he had a competition coming up (which he did take gold in) part of that new teachers advice was to get in street fights. which my friend did.

good or bad?

Yeah, very bad.

[BoulderDawg]

I would like to see more information about the various schools. Maybe each month they could take a major city/area and list the all the various schools there. Also don't judge the school's quality but answer such questions as:

What is taught
Fitness level required for membership
Fighting or forms orientated
Kid friendly
Cost, locations...things like that

[SPJ]

Kung fu or qi gong for children

this is a big area and huge "market"

so my son is going to local chinese summer school,

he enrolled 3-4 grade chinese, 3-4 grade math, 3-4 grade english reading and writing, guess what

for physical education,

basket ball, volley ball, soccer and kung fu.

--

my point is that more open discussions about teaching and learning for different age group of people.

such as so and so for senior,

so and so for kids

so and so for adult combat sport/ring

---

:)

[BoulderDawg]

You know, just talking about a little marketing here.......

What a wonderful idea it would be if you had a senior KF program. Maybe 60+ for people who are in moderately good shape that have never taken MA.

I think in a big area this might just catch on. So many older people out there are afraid of the rigorious classes with the 20 somethings.

[andyhaas]

You know, just talking about a little marketing here.......

What a wonderful idea it would be if you had a senior KF program. Maybe 60+ for people who are in moderately good shape that have never taken MA.

I think in a big area this might just catch on. So many older people out there are afraid of the rigorious classes with the 20 somethings.

Yeah, programs for seniors are different. I attended a class once that was mixed out of a community college and the instructor was gone (his wife died in a car crash just a couple of days before) so one of his seniors was teaching. He had put us through the ringer on the first day -- it was intense even for somebody like me who had prior training ...

At the end of the class a lady who was at least 50+ was complaining to me about pain, and complained to the school ... the class was canceled for the quarter because the seniors weren't supposed to be teaching.

[YouKnowWho]

I wish there is a website that talking about

- general combat strategy,
- how to defense/counter a certain move?
- how to defense/counter that defense/counter?
- how to train a certain skill?
- how to enhance a certain skill?
- ...

instead of talking about

- my style is better than your style.
- Joe Smith is fake.
- Should I tuck my tail bone or not?
- How can I make my Qi flow smoothly?
- Where can I get a cheap silk pyjama?
- Did Chang San-Fen really exist?
- ...

[SIFU RON]

I'd like to see progression from form to fight stuff more.

so many people show solo forms stuff and that's ok, but almost no one shows any of those techs being used in drills or in fights.

I'd like to see someone do a form, extrapolate a part and demonstrate it's use in a drill and then show where it is used in a fight by taking it out of the clip.

this way, people can see the difference between a text book move as it is performed in a set and how the actual move looks when used for real.

for the most part, solo forms work vids are weak as far as practical use instruction goes.

I don't know why, but it is the classical arts that get cut off before the finish in this respect. NOt to mention all the garbage and convolution that comes with the "we learn not to fight" stuff. But that's a whole other thing worth it's own thread. lol

Good point David, I agree 100%. Ark Wong always explained " it is better to learn one form and how to use it than to learn many forms without knowing how to use the moves " I am with you on this one David, let me know if you want to do this and let's see how many others join in.

[SIFU RON]

You know, just talking about a little marketing here.......

What a wonderful idea it would be if you had a senior KF program. Maybe 60+ for people who are in moderately good shape that have never taken MA.

I think in a big area this might just catch on. So many older people out there are afraid of the rigorious classes with the 20 somethings.

Teaching Seniors has been going on for decades, Seniors are not trained the same as young people. It takes patience and experience to teach older folks, mixing them with young people is not a good idea.

Senior Centers welcome these programs, give it a try.

[andyhaas]

I'd like to see progression from form to fight stuff more.

so many people show solo forms stuff and that's ok, but almost no one shows any of those techs being used in drills or in fights.

I'd like to see someone do a form, extrapolate a part and demonstrate it's use in a drill and then show where it is used in a fight by taking it out of the clip.

this way, people can see the difference between a text book move as it is performed in a set and how the actual move looks when used for real.

for the most part, solo forms work vids are weak as far as practical use instruction goes.



I wish there is a website that talking about

- general combat strategy,
- how to defense/counter a certain move?
- how to defense/counter that defense/counter?
- how to train a certain skill?
- how to enhance a certain skill?
- ...
- ...

I set up a simple forum on freehostia http://forum.martialtechniques.freehostia.com/smf/ to talk about martial arts techniques in response to what you guy's said (this is something that I want to talk about a lot as well), if anybody's interested in going over there.

This is the first forum that I've ever set up, so maybe be a little patient with the newbie! LOL

[David Jamieson]

I set up a simple forum on freehostia http://forum.martialtechniques.freehostia.com/smf/ to talk about martial arts techniques in response to what you guy's said (this is something that I want to talk about a lot as well), if anybody's interested in going over there.

This is the first forum that I've ever set up, so maybe be a little patient with the newbie! LOL

um...why fragment a population that is already consolidated here?

If you want to discuss these topics or share pics and vids, then making threads here is exactly for that purpose as well.

Just be clear in what it is you want to discuss or share and if it gets hijacked, ask a mod to clear out the spunk for you. :)

[andyhaas]

um...why fragment a population that is already consolidated here?

If you want to discuss these topics or share pics and vids, then making threads here is exactly for that purpose as well.

Just be clear in what it is you want to discuss or share and if it gets hijacked, ask a mod to clear out the spunk for you. :)

Honestly, it's just so I can set it up to be modded the way that I want.

I search this board a lot, and have bought a ton of stuff from Martial Arts Mart (it's one of my favorite stores), but honestly guys like LKFMDC and such who just push their own style and agenda annoy the heck out of me.

[David Jamieson]

Honestly, it's just so I can set it up to be modded the way that I want.

I search this board a lot, and have bought a ton of stuff from Martial Arts Mart (it's one of my favorite stores), but honestly guys like LKFMDC and such who just push their own style and agenda annoy the heck out of me.

lol. Ignore him! He's not gonna stop. :P

You have that feature here.

But to be fair, Dave is aggressive and pushy, but he's also correct about a great deal of his observations and to be fair, he's in the game everyday, running a school, that trains fighters and he comes from a trad background, and sees all sorts come and go.

He's not ruminating, he's recounting things that have actually happened for the most part.

So, don't let his jerk like attitudes and behaviour irk you too much. lol, you'll probably take away one or two things you can use!

don't confuse this statement with me defending dave either. I'm just sayin... :)

[andyhaas]

So, don't let his jerk like attitudes and behaviour irk you too much. lol, you'll probably take away one or two things you can use!

don't confuse this statement with me defending dave either. I'm just sayin... :)

No offense, but what he's teaching is just IMHO like he says, sanda or MMA kung fu or whatever. Put on the puffy gloves, outlaw KF techniques, don't use KF techniques and you just got kickboxing or kickboxing with some grappling, no offense.

Ain't saying I couldn't use more kickboxing or grappling practice, but tired of him always promoting his stuff is better than others. Ain't saying his stuff is bad or anything, just saying IMHO he shouldn't pound on other people.

[David Jamieson]

No offense, but what he's teaching is just IMHO like he says, sanda or MMA kung fu or whatever. Put on the puffy gloves, outlaw KF techniques, don't use KF techniques and you just got kickboxing or kickboxing with some grappling, no offense.

Ain't saying I couldn't use more kickboxing or grappling practice, but tired of him always promoting his stuff is better than others. Ain't saying his stuff is bad or anything, just saying IMHO he shouldn't pound on other people.

12 & 14 oz gloves aren't that puffy and fingerless for sure ain't.

mma is as close as anyone can get to actually really being in a street fight or any fight with the possibility for sharps, blunts and projectile weapons being removed.

mma training can and does totally include traditional martial arts material.

[andyhaas]

mma training can and does totally include traditional martial arts material.

No, not really. I mean, it could in that some technique aren't outlawed, but mostly it just uses kickboxing + grappling. There are a lot of exceptions, which is what I personally look for in standard type MMA fights, along with good fighting, but mostly just kickboxing + grappling.

For a while UFC/Pride stuff focused more on grappling, then striking kindof came back. Now it comes and goes depending upon season / fighter.

What was funny later was the original guy who started the grappling movement kindof in UFC type stuff, Royce Gracie, trying striking later on after striking came back. LOL

[David Jamieson]

No, not really. I mean, it could in that some technique aren't outlawed, but mostly it just uses kickboxing + grappling. There are a lot of exceptions, which is what I personally look for in standard type MMA fights, along with good fighting, but mostly just kickboxing + grappling.

For a while UFC/Pride stuff focused more on grappling, then striking kindof came back. Now it comes and goes depending upon season / fighter.

What was funny later was the original guy who started the grappling movement kindof in UFC type stuff, Royce Gracie, trying striking later on after striking came back. LOL

yes, yes it really does.

what do you mean by outlawed technique anyway? And why is it a big deal if one or two techniques are outlawed? Is that all your kungfu is good for? one or two techniques? that are dirty probably? Like elbow strikes to the spine? esophagal crushing? which techniques cannot be adpated to punch/kick/throw or lock without being "the deadly"?

I train traditional and all the stuff you can train with another person is everything you can train in mma.

teh throat ripping and eye gouging stuff or knees to the sack are all fine and dandy, but if that's all that your kungfu is made up of then it's lacking.

a solid well structured punch or kick is good, a properly executed throw is good, quickly applied locks with pain compliance are good.

with the exception of the dirty moves and weapons use, mma is as close as anyone will get to an actual fight. You cannot get that out of forms training and compliant partner drills which is the bulk of traditional training.

[Lucas]

what are well executed strikes/throws/locks done from the base of traditional training, but traditional strikes/throws/locks.

for the sake of being fair, a good portion of techniques you see thrown in a fight were long developed in traditional arts before the conception of the mma rule set was ever even dreamed up.

if i throw a sidekick which was trained through my practice of cma is exectued the same way as a sidekick by a guy trained in mma, what magically seperates the effectivness of that technique?

Just because he didnt train in a 'traditional asian art' doesnt mean its not the same technique.