Fighting when it comes to self-defense, isn't sparring.
Many post that I have read on forums talk about squaring off and what stance to use, if you allow the conflict to progress to this point you've lost most of your advantage.
Now I know there are some real rough boys here who this advice won't apply to.
How many of you witnessed how easily a half trained BJJ purple belt trashes a highly trained Karate black belt. The Gracies walk into a school and want to spar the instructor, he agrees, throws a have-hearted kick to their stomach to see what will happen and they take him to the ground and cause him pain and embarrassment.
What about self defense on the street, in a bar or anywhere. Someone starts making inappropriate gestures toward you, your wife or your family, are you going to spar with him?
You don't know who this person is, maybe he doesn't care if he spends the next few nights in jail, maybe he knocks everyone he fights out, wants to see if he can knock you out too.
Karate is a combat art, developed to stop, devastate, or destroy you opponent. There is a time to leave and theres a time to stop the conflict before it gets going.
Hard kicks to the knees, shins, thighs or groin, knife hands to the neck or throat, hair grabs with hammer fist to the nose, pokes to the eyes. If you have a strong reverse punch, strike the nose, throat, or solar plexus.
Don't let an ex football player with a bad attitude get a run at you, you'll probably end up a tackling dummy.
I'm not against sparring in the studio or competition, it's another tool to develop timing, focus and mental toughness, all necessary in effective self defense training . There may come a time when squaring off is the only option, someone just starts swinging at you or tries to take you down to the ground. This is where sparring in the dojo helps, you block, evade and counter with all you got and hopefully it's enough.
Self Defense & Street Fighting Secrets!
Self Defense
Karate for "Little Johnny"
Little Johnny is being picked on at school.
Johnnys parents have tried everything, talking to the school principal and teachers, telling "Little Johnny" to ignore the bullies, dad says "if they push you, push them back!" So far nothing has worked.
"Little Johnny" is scared to go to school, his grades are failing, what are his parents to do?
While driving home from the beauty salon "Little Johnnys" mom spots,
"Master Joe's Strip Mall Karate For Kids".
Mom explains the situation to Master Joe. Master Joe recommends a 3 group classes and 2 private instruction karate classes a week program, it's kind of expensive, but Master Joe will throw in a free karate Gi if Mom signs "Little Johnny" up for a one year program.
Well it's been 3 weeks and "Little Johnny" has only cried twice this week at class and he almost has that horse stance down, if he can just get his fist rotating correctly on his punches, he'll be well on his way to that yellow belt, heck he already knows the first four moves of Kata #1 and half of the dojo slogan, "THERE ARE NO BAD KIDS, JUST KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DON'T PAY THEIR MONTHLY DUES".
Can anyone relate to this. I know we have all had remarkable kids come though our schools, but most of them aren't.
When I was 18 yrs old I was teaching at a Kenpo karate school in S. Cal and have seen this situation many times. Parents see Karate, maybe thats the solution and maybe it is, but it's not a quick solution.
I would take kids like, "Little Johnny" and teach them to throw a rear hand reverse punch, put him in front of a heavy bag and slowly train him to hit and hit and hit, usually in 3 weeks the kid would be able to rip off ten decent punches into the bag, know when to fire off his punches and know where to hit.
I had parents come down to the school, Mom and Dads mad, "John" got suspended from school today, he punched one of those kids that "HAD" been pushing him around in the nose.
Mom says she didn't bring her son here to learn to be a karate killer. I explain that I'll have a talk with him. Mom storms out and Dad looks at me and says "Thanks man, My wife and I both really appreciate what you've done for "John."
Karate, Kenpo ,Kung fu, are all beautiful effective self defence arts when taught properly.
