Originally posted by sihing
1) Like I said earlier, testing yourself is what, having to proving something to yourself. If your in class and learning and progressing through the art the way it should be then you will be tested all along the way. For our instructors test, everything (combat, self defense, grappling, etc) is random against multiple attackers, for long periods of time, against students that are “Really” trying to hit you, a virtual free- for-all. If a student wants to attain this level they know what will be required for that to happen so they make sure they are ready for it.
who is “really” trying to hit you though? other people from your kwoon, correct? That’s not the same. They don’t really wanna hurt you. They don’t want you in pain. When it’s all said and done, they are your training buddies…
As far as testing yourself, it’s not proving anything to yourself. It’s gaining experience. I don’t have to prove anything to myself or anyone. Competition enhances you.
2) I agree here, losing will teach you something and not all react the same as you, but there are lots of ways of learning those same lessons.
yeah, but I dunno if they have the same impact. Wanna be humbled real quick? get your arse kicked in front of several hundred people.
3) This debate is old news. We all pretty well agree that contact training has to happen somewhere along the way in one’s training otherwise your skills will not tested.
It is indeed an old debate. And still, not all schools agree that contact is necessary. It’s a debate that for that reason will never end.
Are you saying that competition bouts are the same as the street? I don’t think so, so in this case the same training and learned experience can happen also in the kwoon.
see above.
4) Well a student a few months ago with his friends got sucker punched and attacked by three bouncers. Two of them held his arms while he was walking to the washroom and a third one sucker punched him. The assault continued but the student got himself out of there, and his friends eventually found out and helped him escape. Apparently the bouncers were in a bad mood and had done the same thing to others that night. The student later that evening returned to the bar and one by one dispatched all of them, with no problems. He’s a level 5 in our system. For myself, I don’t go out much anymore but up until a few years ago it was a regular thing for me and I was always lucky to avoid those types of situations, as I never got attacked or challenged, but in today’s world it is all or nothing as most are caring knives or guns today in the streets, does competition fighting help there?
it helps about as much as your kwoon does. The lessons of how to deal with adrenaline rush, taking shots, etc. that you learn in the ring also carry over to the street. On the main forum, someone recently posted an article about a thai boxer who beat three guys who broke into his home. One of them had a knife. Not only did he make it out alive, he sent them running out of his home.
5) Well then it looks like you like to fight, why? What is it about fighting that you like? Is there something you need to prove to yourself? I don’t need to prove anything to anybody about my fighting abilities or lack thereof. I know I not the best fighter already, and I have no problem with that either. I don’t like fighting and I don’t consider myself a fighter, just one that can defend themselves well.
As said above, it’s not about proving. If it was, I woulda stopped after my first match, in which I KOed the guy, or after the first judo tourney I won. that’s not what it’s about. It’s about improving your skill and doing so through competition. I could stay in my nice, cushiony school, train with them, spar with them and be happy with that, but that’s not the same. They don’t want to inflict the same pain that an opponent in the ring or street would - the intent isn’t there. The ring and the street have different intent as well, but the ring is closer to it than the school…
6) No the problem is that life is not like this, Win/Win. People are too concerned about themselves and their own worlds that they will step on anyone in their way. Win/Win is the way it should be but maybe I’m too idealistic, oh well shame on me…
how it should be and how it is are two different things though, are they not? Ideally, it should be win/win, but realistically, how often does that occur?
7) I have competed in many things since I was young and in my teens, and I met allot of people that were too competitive and saw what it did to them. Up here in Canada Hockey is big, ever see the parents at a kids hockey game, some freak out when the ref makes a bad call against their child or his/her team, they are more into it than the child, I saw the same when I was playing competitive tennis. My parents always encouraged me to do well and try my best but losing is always a possibility and they didn’t freak out when that happened for me.
like I said above, competition teaches you lessons - even more when you lose. The fans/supporters that are there but don’t compete naturally don’t understand that. And even if you competed in the past, you sometimes forget, especially in the case of parents. They want to see their kid win, and they get all emotional about it.
8)Yes I mentioned the “psyc’ng” up part in the last post, but as a professional why would one need to do this? Shouldn’t they be confident enough in their training and experience to not have to psyc themselves up? Isn’t this part of what “Professional” means?
it’s not about my confidence as much as it is about his. it’s all mental. you are trying to break eachother before the fight starts. from press conferences to the staredown just before the fight. you’re trying to weaken him just enough that you have an advantage. Not only that, but fear is always present. It goes away when the first punch is thrown. being professional doesn’t equate to being fearless.
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