CMAists, Do you fight?

[SifuAbel]

The question that has been coming up lately is that 90% of CMA schools are crap in america because they don't fight. Is this true? Do you fight? Do you fight with contact? Let us know. Lets get a sense of what you do. This poll is for people in CMA schools. If you don't fight in them either don't reply or answer no.

Post a little something too, keep this poll up on the board.

[Rockwood]

I never "fight" but I do spar. Spar with various kinds of protective gear, with a reasonable mindset not to hurt my partner unneccesarily. All stand up, I don't know grappling so I don't mess with anything after throw, trip or knockdown.
-Jess O

[Faruq]

I had my last fight when I was 12. Since then I've ended all threats through selling wolf tickets, playing the tough role, and on the rare occasions none of that work, I'd apologize. So I've been lucky I guess, and the fact that I never look for trouble has to have gone a long way toward keeping me out of fights.

[GeneChing]

I don't fight in normal sparring situations, so the concept of hard contact, point sparring, etc. doesn't really apply. I do psychiatric interventions. These are in real world environments so there are no rules. I suggest you widen your perspective on how to apply CMA. If you're just looking at sparring, that's pretty limited.

[wiz cool c]

I do Shuai Jiao now I just can't take all the dancing stuff. In Shuai Jiao we spar every lesson. I still practice Tai Chi and Bagua on my own for health and fitness. I love competitive push hands but there just aren't enough people doing it to take it seriously.

[Knifefighter]

I don't fight in normal sparring situations, so the concept of hard contact, point sparring, etc. doesn't really apply. I do psychiatric interventions. These are in real world environments so there are no rules. I suggest you widen your perspective on how to apply CMA. If you're just looking at sparring, that's pretty limited.

Gene-
Can you give some specific examples of the types of physical altercations that occur in these situations and the specific CMA tactics and/or techniques you are using?

What things have you found to work the best and what things, if any, have you thrown out or evolved for these situations?

[lkfmdc]

I do psychiatric interventions

Never knew that Gene!

Good training for running this BBS

Cheers

[David Jamieson]

I'll jump in for just a second, but I can't partiipate in the poll because im not a member of anyones school, however, I have worked door for a couple of places, one more upscale, the other a bit more dreggy.

upscale place required "quiet removal" of unruly patrons. This required methods of control that I got from traditional martial arts. Generally Chin Na type stuff.

the more dreggy joint required a little bit more oomph. Pins, holds and dial the phone stuff sometimes

For EMS guys, they would do well to do restrain and contain drawn from wherever, I think there's a lot of Chin Na techs that are gentle but can provide the level of control required.

same goes for Leos and other like professions. Not that they can't get useful stuff elsewhere, just saying that I think the stuff within trad materials is more than sufficient.

[Fu-Pow]

Was for a while there but my body started falling apart. I may post a fight clip from this summer at some point.

FP

[SifuAbel]

I don't fight in normal sparring situations, so the concept of hard contact, point sparring, etc. doesn't really apply. I do psychiatric interventions. These are in real world environments so there are no rules. I suggest you widen your perspective on how to apply CMA. If you're just looking at sparring, that's pretty limited.

Since I can't change my poll questions, why don't you do your admin magic and add the relevant additions.

[SifuAbel]

I'll jump in for just a second, but I can't partiipate in the poll because im not a member of anyones school,

Then just post whether your school, at the time, fought.

[SevenStar]

Since I can't change my poll questions, why don't you do your admin magic and add the relevant additions.

I tried, but I can't edit your poll, only your post.

FWIW, it's TMA guys that will also tell you that 95% of schools are crap, most likely due to more reasons than just lack of contact sparring - training methods, class length, focus of the classes, etc.

[SifuAbel]

Its also likely they say that because of school rivalry and stylistic bias. thats why I made this poll about contact fighting, not about whether the WC guy thinks the CLF guy is doing right by him.

[GeneChing]

Next year will mark my 20th year doing this kind of work. I work at concerts, events and street fairs, places where there are might be high incidences of peple under the influence. This weekend, I'll be working here. I specialize in inteventions with intense psychedelic reactions (IPRs) or what's commonly known as bad drug trips, but mostly what I deal with are belligerent drunks. I described one such encounter in my first Shaolin Tripse-zine column. I've done restraints on every intoxicant imaginable, from the dreaded angel duster, to patients that are clinically psychotic.

Patient scenarios range considerably. Sometimes it's one-on-one, but given our choice, we prefer to outnumber the patient, for obvious reasons. We use a four level protocol for restraint: verbal, physical, mechanical, chemical. What is of most interest to all of you here is physical.

So what works? Ironically, nothing I learned in sparring except the fundamental concepts of distance, timing, and velocity. I can't punch or kick the patient. That just doesn't make sense. No do I use painful restraint holds. I don't even use cuffs, only soft restraints. It's a totally different ball game when you're trying to take down a patient without hurting them. It's a lot more like tai chi, although I hesitate to say I use a lot of these techniques, since I don't really practice tai chi anymore. I do use qinna methods of course. I've also used some of the flowery stuff on occasion to distract the patient. That's pretty rare though, but it has worked, especially when I have a partner or two.

[SifuAbel]

.......... no wonder......