What's in YOUR tool box?

[Phil Redmond]

I know all the WC purists will talk about me but I've finally decided to do it. I'm going to start BJJ with a purple belt under the Gracies this weekend. I just thought I'd add another tool to my tool box. Ernie, Dhira, Andrew, ect. Back me up here guys......grin.

[Ernie]

my tool box , well first and foremost my conditioning that is paramount , as for styles , boxing , kick boxing , savate , Thai , dumog , pananjakman/panantuken [sp] , kali , kina muay Thai , wing chun , street life and a calm spirit
also allot of attribute development , this is still a constant in my every day training

things that interest me , bjj , shoot , sambo and always to further my exploration of wing chun training methods
things that don't belong in my tool box , lineage , ego , any form of ranking that separates people ,titles . competitive attitude , and people who claim to have all the answers

[Kevin Bell]

I'll second that on conditioning Bro,after that absolutly anything,cheats,verbal,lineups,anything and everything after all there are no rules in real fighting!!!

[Miles Teg]

Good on you Phil!
BJJ sounds interesting, Im definitely going to give it a go. I hope you give us updates on your progress. Im doing a little Judo and the thing that I llike about it is that its like wing chun in that there are no fixed techniques or movements. Rather you are always paired up with someone reacting to what they are doing and trying to take advantage of them in the best way that you can.



Ernie
Holly martial arts that I cant pronounce batman!! There a lot of martial arts that Ive never hear of on that list. Im gonna have to do a google search.

[Nick Forrer]

Originally posted by Miles Teg
Ernie
Holly martial arts that I cant pronounce batman!! There a lot of martial arts that Ive never hear of on that list. Im gonna have to do a google search.

The unusual sounding ones are different parts of Kali/filipino martial arts

Kina muntao = biting

dumog = grappling, headbutts, head/neck manipulations

panantukan= punching

pananjackman = kicking


For more information go here

[Kevin Bell]

I admire the BJJ guys greatly,and whilst im receptive to have the opportunity to learn some i do have some reservations when lookin at the bigger picture.

Do i really want to go to the floor in a street fight?

Do i want to go to the floor if fighting more than one opponent?

Whilst i dont doubt one can ground and pound,i wouldnt fancy have the fko of me from my assailents friends whilst im rolling around on the deck.

Im not dismissin ground fighting in fact as stated i would like to learn some but i want to get really good staying on my feet,my thoughts only.

[quiet man]

Phil Redmond -

My toolbox is still empty. I am but a mere dabbler, a picker-up of shells on the shores of the great unknown ocean that is wing chun. For me, it would be too easy to confuse my own incompleteness, my own insufficiency, and my own lack of skill with that of the style. So, I wouldn't dare to speak of wing chun like I know it inside out, and I wouldn't try and add some other tools before becoming proficient with my current one.
But that's really just me, now. Who knows what will I be thinking in ten years from now...

As for you: good luck with your new journey, and with expanding your horizons. Do what is best for you, and don't let the wc purists (myself included ) bother you

[namron]

Originally posted by Kevin Bell
I admire the BJJ guys greatly,and whilst im receptive to have the opportunity to learn some i do have some reservations when lookin at the bigger picture.

Do i really want to go to the floor in a street fight?

Do i want to go to the floor if fighting more than one opponent?

Whilst i dont doubt one can ground and pound,i wouldnt fancy have the fko of me from my assailents friends whilst im rolling around on the deck.

Im not dismissin ground fighting in fact as stated i would like to learn some but i want to get really good staying on my feet,my thoughts only.

Working some of the standing grappling and BJJ take down defenses (sprawl/ clinch etc) will actually improve your chances of staying on your feet.

I think the whole I dont know about learning a grappling style because I dont want to end up on the ground has been done a few times on this forum in other threads.

I'll let others comment as they will.

For me it stiches in nicely, dont have to play the ground game but if I have to at least I've got something beside the new fish outa water look.

[namron]

Phil hope you have a ball!

It certainly a **** good work out!

Tell me if your calf muscles are up to the guard game.

Mine cramp like a SOB, but hey I'm still a newbee.

I think I may have to increase my H2O during training?

[Matrix]

Phil,

Forget about the purists or any other "-ist". One thing I'm sure you've noticed in your experience, is that people will talk regardless of what you do ( or don't do). We all need to walk our path, and should stay true to ourselves.

I'd be very interested in hearing about your experiences with BJJ.

Peace

[old jong]

Hey Phil!...
Wing Chun is not a religion or a sect that forbid people from listening to other "preaching"!...It is also not like most women who don't want you to "look around"!...It is not jaleous.Only people are!... Have fun and don't wait too much before tapping.

[Hendrik]

kick, hit, throw, capture, crash,........

training in BJJ is great.

[AmanuJRY]

Phil,

Have a blast. Grappling can be fun (especially if your like me....I like playing a little rough).

Since you used the toolbox analogy, let me state (maybe the obvious) that any grappling art is assosiated primarily to one range of fighting, that is grappling/ground. Many MA train several ranges, but none (that I've seen) train all of them. Training in a grappling art to 'add tools to your tool box' is really more like attaining a 'set' of job-specific tools for this other area. Simply it's like getting a hammer instead of using pliars for driving a nail.

The thing I have with BJJ and some of the other grappling arts is; for one, I'm not fond of any of their 'stand-up' game strategies (not that you would be using them instead of your WC), and two, they have this vast arsenal of holds and submissions that they teach, yet you only see a fraction of them ever used in MMA events. So I would say, ask yourself (or the instructor even) with every hold or lock 'how effective, and when is this technique going to be used'. But really, It's all aboud rolling around with someone with experience and getting some of that experience for yourself.

[PaulH]

Hi Phil,

My past French coaches Jean Marc Noblot and Chan Keo are very good WC people. They also trained BJJ at the Machado school in Torrance, CA and then later in Brazil. They both like it a lot, and say that it actually enhances their WC skills and attributes. It's sick how they can quickly take me down and break whatever body parts they like! On the other hand, they are also not easy to take down due to their BJJ experience. =)

[45degree fist]

Mcgiver's Knife