I have been studying various point-based Karate and Taekwondo styles for about 9 years. For the past month, I have been doing Kyokushin. Here are my initial thoughts on full-contact fighting:
-Full-contact styles have more adults than point fighting styles. This is a good thing.
-Full-contact is more useful than point fighting. Real fights are close-range slug matches, not long-range games of tag.
-Full-contact is easier than point fighting. The former feels like real fighting and instinct takes over easily. The latter is just so jittery and weird that it becomes an awkward, overly-challenging game of tag.
-Full-contact (at least in the dojo) feels more safe than point fighting. I was getting injuries in point fighting anyway so I didn't see the point of no contact. Besides, in full-contact, everything moves slower so it's easier to place your techniques in the correct target area without missing and hitting a knee or groin. It's almost like point fighting is just a less effective, more dangerous, more difficult version of fighting that doesn't actually prepare you for self defense.
-Every martial artist needs to know what impact feels like. Being hit isn't just pain to the impact area, but a shockwave which rattles that entire area of the body. Being unfamiliar with this feeling will make real self defense impossible.
-Leg kicks hurt a lot. I'll take a hundred liver shots before a single thigh kick. Likewise, I'd much rather kick low than waste energy kicking high, as the success rate of low kicks seems much higher than body and head kicks.
-On that note, everyone needs to know how to leg check. It is a lifesaver (legsaver?).
-Punches to the body aren't that bad. Yeah sure if you relax your abdominals they might suck but just tighten up and you're fine.
-Kata is actually useful. But out of the hundreds of kata, this only applies to a few of them. I find that the applications from more "simple" kata (Seisan, Suparinpei, Sochin, Enpi, etc) is more worthwhile for full-contact fighting than more sophisticated "bunkai bro" kata (Gojushiho, Kushanku, Nipaipo, Chinte, etc). More time must be spent on the "easy" kata than the others.
-I have come to realise the importance of strength training, not just cardio.
-Sanchin is helpful.
Yeah switch to full contact. It's safer, easier, and more practical. Point fighting can go in the bin.
-Full-contact styles have more adults than point fighting styles. This is a good thing.
-Full-contact is more useful than point fighting. Real fights are close-range slug matches, not long-range games of tag.
-Full-contact is easier than point fighting. The former feels like real fighting and instinct takes over easily. The latter is just so jittery and weird that it becomes an awkward, overly-challenging game of tag.
-Full-contact (at least in the dojo) feels more safe than point fighting. I was getting injuries in point fighting anyway so I didn't see the point of no contact. Besides, in full-contact, everything moves slower so it's easier to place your techniques in the correct target area without missing and hitting a knee or groin. It's almost like point fighting is just a less effective, more dangerous, more difficult version of fighting that doesn't actually prepare you for self defense.
-Every martial artist needs to know what impact feels like. Being hit isn't just pain to the impact area, but a shockwave which rattles that entire area of the body. Being unfamiliar with this feeling will make real self defense impossible.
-Leg kicks hurt a lot. I'll take a hundred liver shots before a single thigh kick. Likewise, I'd much rather kick low than waste energy kicking high, as the success rate of low kicks seems much higher than body and head kicks.
-On that note, everyone needs to know how to leg check. It is a lifesaver (legsaver?).
-Punches to the body aren't that bad. Yeah sure if you relax your abdominals they might suck but just tighten up and you're fine.
-Kata is actually useful. But out of the hundreds of kata, this only applies to a few of them. I find that the applications from more "simple" kata (Seisan, Suparinpei, Sochin, Enpi, etc) is more worthwhile for full-contact fighting than more sophisticated "bunkai bro" kata (Gojushiho, Kushanku, Nipaipo, Chinte, etc). More time must be spent on the "easy" kata than the others.
-I have come to realise the importance of strength training, not just cardio.
-Sanchin is helpful.
Yeah switch to full contact. It's safer, easier, and more practical. Point fighting can go in the bin.
