Traditional Kung Fu fighting??

[Jared1211]

I am currently practicing a traditional style of mantis and I must say, that is not how martial arts actually are. You are right, in the end fighting is fighting. It doesn't matter whether you are a kick boxer or a style of any kung fu(even soft style). I admire all of martial arts as a whole. People out there just see videos like that and say, "Well I could fight better than that with no training." That is more chorographed than practiced.

[TenTigers]

Jared, if you are trainnig SPM,for that matter, any traditional CMA under a qualified Sifu, then you are indeed one of the lucky ones. As my quote in the other post stated, don't be concerned with what these other guys say or do, simply keep to your course. Sometimes, things are better left unsaid. You will eventually find people of like mind, who share your enthusiasm, viewpoints, and will encourage you to pursue your goals rather than try to drag you down to their way of thinking.
Kinda like Mexican Crabs-one can escape, but not two, because they drag each other down as soon as they try to climb out of the bucket.
But arguing with these guys is like arguing with an idiot: He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience!

I am not saying that MMA is bad, or ground fighting is bad. You need to learn these skills as well to be truly prepared to fight at all ranges. You can always get bumrushed, or blindsided, and must be prepared to deal with it and have the neccesary tools. But the myth that most fights end up on the ground is justthat-a myth. Sure, most schoolyard fights do, but "real grownup fights?" from what I've seen, one guy is on the ground 'cause the other guy lit him up. In many self-defense confrontations, rather than ego fueled chest thumping adolescent skirmishes, you will not be rolling around on the floor, you will be beaten to a bloddy pulp.
Again, you do need to learn these skills. Why? Because since the advent of MMA, more and more people are doing it. It's in the media, on pay per view, in magazines, even in the New York Times. Between that and the popularity of pro wrestling, everybody and their uncle will try to ground 'n pound. When I was your age-manny moons ago, all we had to worry about was the wrestling jock, or football jock taking you down-and if it was the wrestler, you were basically fu(ked.
Now, everybody tries to do it, so you need another set of tools along with your regular tools.
In SPM, if we are facing each other, close eonough for me to hit you-I will. period.SPM is fast-blindingly fast (no pun intended) The strikes will completely disable you. I know it, you know it. That does not mean that someone can't cover, rush in and go for the takedown, so I'd better know how to deal with it anyway.
My Sifu has been in SPM for over 39 years, and trained with the old man as well. And even he trains for grapplers, and rolls from time to time. So what does that tell you?

[Hung Fist]

You call that sparring WHAT THE FREAK.

[dainos]

is there a reason those people are like standing 10 feet away from each other.i scuk at fighting but those guys...... ugh.. i cant even think up words to really explain how i feel.

[kismet]

Nice post ten tigers, I think you are right in having the right set of skills and how you use these tools is very important in an ever changing game/ arena.

All those many moons ago did you just accept that if a wrestler took you down you were done for or did you train to fight back in that position? Was it to use your SPM in that range / floor or use it combined with wrestling / floor fighting also?

[fiercest tiger]

LOL Suil lum,

Like sheets of music common on man, yopu dont need forms to be a fighter, not martial art forms anyway. You need a partner, you need mits and pads, heavy bags, someone to beat you up and roll with. Tiger and crane, mantis fingers wont help you against a robot/cyborg. Too many people believe that the form is just fighting and they try and fight using the sequences out of the forms and get served. You dont need many tools to be a fighter, just some basics and work them well.

I dont call pad workouts forms by the way incase you going to say isnt pad and bag workouts just forms?

TT

Isnt hung gar fast and powerful enough?

Garry

[TenTigers]

FT=I originally dot into SPM because I noticed that their hands looked remarkably like the short hand techniques contained within my forms. I had felt that in my own personal training, and experience of many others' Hung Kuen as well, that these skills were lacking somewhat. The more I learned, the more I saw the connections. Sometimes one needs to look outside to discover what was contained within. Sometimes, over time and circumstance (commercialization, catering to students, etc) skills are not emphacized, and even lost.
Hung Kuen is the original MMA, containing elements of short bridges, and long, with influence from Fukien Bak-Hok, as well as Lama/Hop-Ga, and in our own line, CLF as well. So "cross training" is accepted, as far as I am concerned.
Bottom line, it's all about attributes, not techniques or forms. I know you can agree with that!

[Jared1211]

Ten Tigers I agree completely with you about the grappling these days, but I have taken more jiu jitzu than I have SPM so if I was taken to the ground I could go for that too.