Been thinking alot lately. In the past 18 month’s - two years or so, I have been really working on structure, rooting and body mechaincs. Probably because I lost so much when I blew my back out. I know that we often spend uncountable amounts of time working on this stuff, but in all that work, and all that labor, does it really matter? I mean, wouldn’t we be better off just working on hitting our opponent all that time? MMA guys don’t do ANY stance work, but most of them can mop most of us up. They just hit, graple or whatever against real opponenets. Wile many of us are doing “footwork” drills for hours in the park, they are actually working skills with oponenets.
Last Summer, I spent literally HOURS doing drills in the air across a hot asphalt parking lot. Theses drills are very similar to the actuall self defence techniques used in that system, if not identical. Rather than doing all that, wouldn’t just drilling the techniques with a partner be more effective training?? I mean, it’s the same movement anyway, and partner drilling gives you the advantage of actually HITTING an opponent (Even if the power is pulled for safety), plus all the distancing, and spacial awareness needed to actually use the technique…right?
So what’s the point of doing countless hours of drills in the air, that are just like your techniques, in a class that has other people doing the same thing, when you can get more by pairing off, and working with a real person? Am I missing something, or is there some sort of benifit from stepping & punching the air for 2 hours before you pair up for the last hour??
MP, Thanks I feel better now. I can understand maybe 20 minutes of a footwork or other drills in the air, or maybe some techinique drills in the air for the same amount of time, to warm up maybe, but to go like 2 hours always seemed pointless to me. I can see if I’m alone, training by myself, but when there are other people in the class, it does not make sense to me.
I’m a big beliver of taking one skill, and working the stuffing out of it, I just question the logic of doing that alone, in the air when there are people right there you could do it on, and work it with.
Solo practice gives you the opportunity to get the gross movement right. Partnered training allows you to fine tune it so that it works against an opponent.
Here’s another one, when I was first learning, we used to do like 1000 kicks at a time in the air. My record actually, is 1800 in 40 minutes. We used to do this like 2-3 times a week. Now yes, it made me a great kicker, but after a wile, wouldn’t it have been better to kick a bag? I mean, you’d get the same cardio benifits, along wiht the feel of actually hitting something, and the ability to learn to penatrate and all. So why do so many “So called” traditional schools kick in the air so much? What’s the point?? Am I missing something?
I can see at first, till you can get your leg over your head, do 1000 or so, but after that?? Why go on solely in the air?
IMO… solo practice is important… for like 10 - 20 minutes… any longer is a waste of time… the rest of that time could be better spent doing other things… weight training… resistance training… 2 person drills… sparring… hanging out with friends…
Yeah, single hand techniques should be practised to improve the accuracy and correct movements however i think that in lesson time the instructor should have a look and go through your single hand techniques and then fix them up if need be. I agree that the rest of the time should be spent playing jongs with an partner at least, cause you can train all that other single hand stuff at home anyway. But as they say “Perfect practice makes perfect”.
“Perfect practice makes perfect”.
depends on what you are practicing… practicing ‘perfect’ technique for the most part will NOT translate in the midst of a confrontation… IMO ofcourse…
Do any of you all practice “Two Man” (or woman if you prefer) sets? I find that they can be great to guage timing and distance especially if you have different people of size and reach to practice with.
two man sets are great… depending on the drill… what I CANT STAND are the when people drill and try not to make contact… now first starting the drill you have to get the movements and its finer parts straight… but the purpose (IMO) of the drill is to condition a response… now after months of refining the movements… students need to start adding the stress of getting hit… some school i see are doing the same deill but call it an advanced drill because its faster or has more ‘parts’ to it… that kills me…
depends on what you are practicing… practicing ‘perfect’ technique for the most part will NOT translate in the midst of a confrontation… IMO ofcourse…
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True, that’s why I say you should practice hitting resisting opponenets.
No offence but you fight as you train. What are you going to do if a guy jumps you, start doing solo drills?
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Agreed, this is the point of my original post. you need to mix it up, both in prearranged drills, and free sparriing. I know most schools do this, but what’s the deal with hours of drills in the air for long periods of time?? It’s like the balance is backwards. I think the twoman work should be for hours, and the air drills for like 20 minutes tops. I can even see doing full forms over basic air drills for long periods of time, because they are often more intense, and you get great cardio to burn fat and thus chisle your abbs. There’s something productive there. But with the air drills, usually they are the same thing as the techniques, or very similar. Since your doing the same motion anyway, why not do it with a partner?
I can see in special casses, like partner drills for throws might have been a bad idea when my back was blown out still, but otherwise?
I think kicking and punching in the air is worth while because it teaches you how to miss, which is pretty darn important. And it is fun to flow through movements.
Also, if you could hit, but have your mind free as if you were just punching the air…wouldn’t that be something?
I agree that you should work with a partner … practicing solo has many good points, but working techniques with someone else will teach you (a) how the tech should work (in slow, 2-person practice); (b) how the tech will probably work (in full-speed sparring); (c) any structural flaws that will affect your balance/speed/technique etc. in application.
Solo practice is good, but apps practice and sparring (at whatever level you/your sifu decides) balances it out & gives you a realistic picture of your progress.
Namely, if you were me, you’d end up on your ass a lot. At least, I do.
