Small system or large system?

[Brother John]

Is it better to have a big system with lots of techniques or a small system with relatively few?

It doesn't matter.
It's the Heart, not the art, that's the greatest determinant in a fight.

Your Brother
John

 

[arnisador]

As some are saying, we tendt to extract small arts from our big arts, so in some sense the end result is the same but it may be good to start from a larger pool. Or...one could choose an art that's a good fit initially, and save some whittling! With all the options available these days for adding the odd technique--seminars, DVDs, books, the Internet--one doesn't need 108 different forms, I feel.

Eitehr way can work--no argument. But boxing and Muay Thai acquit themselves pretty well with just a small number of techniques that impresses me.

 

[Loki]

Eitehr way can work--no argument. But boxing and Muay Thai acquit themselves pretty well with just a small number of techniques that impresses me.

True, but both will have a problem with, say, a knife. Not that any of us won't, but their's will be greater. Muay Thai is also more restrictive, as it's a sport MA, so they lose the "everything goes" edge. No one is going to tell a Muay Thai practitioner not to use a kick to the groin if attacked on the street, but he sure as hell won't be used to it.

Our black belt training is become very Muay Thai, since the top three students are preparing for the ring, and the head instructor happens to be their instructor as well. I fought a second degree black belt last week who never through a single front kick at me.

 

[Flying Crane]

I fought a second degree black belt last week who never through a single front kick at me.

Could just be his own personal preference?

 

[Andrew Green]

Front kicks are allowed, taught in and a fairly common technique in Muay Thai, do a little poking around for "teep" and you will find it.

Some guys don't like certain techniques though, they just don't fit with there personal style.

 

[Flying Crane]

Front kicks are allowed, taught in and a fairly common technique in Muay Thai, do a little poking around for "teep" and you will find it.

Some guys don't like certain techniques though, they just don't fit with there personal style.

What is "Teep"?

 

[mantis]

fear not the man who practiced how to fight a thousand men, but fear the man who practiced how to fight one man a thousand times.
quantity vs. quality!

 

[Flying Crane]

fear not the man who practiced how to fight a thousand men, but fear the man who practiced how to fight one man a thousand times.
quantity vs. quality!

i dunno. if he can actually beat a thousand, i'm not entirely certain I could take him. even at my best i've never beat more than 963. just not sure...

 

[karatekid1975]

"teep" is a front kick, basically.

In TKD, it's the K.I.S.S. thing (Keep it simple stupid). Which is good. We learn how to use what basics we know effectively (there is some "flare" at later ranks, but we have already built the basics before that). We learn Thai boxing and Chin Na, too, so it's very effective.

In jujitsu, we learn "what works NOW!" type deal. Nothing fancy, but stuff that, as my sensei puts it, "I want you to be able to use this stuff right away. Not next year." LOL

 

[searcher]

There is a quote on MT somewhere that states, "don't fear a man who knows 1000 techniques and does them only once, fear the one that knows one technique and does it 1000 times."

If you try to train for every possible situation, that is all you will ever get done and you will not be a master of any situation. Focus on the basics and let them help determine how you will react to a situation.

 

[Phoenix44]

After I'd been training for about 5 years, my instructor told me, "Look, I've already taught you everything I know. Now it's up to you."

I thought that was insane. Here was a professional martial artist who'd been teaching and training in various arts for more than 30 years, and he's telling me he taught me "everything."

After another few years I started to get some insight into what he meant. There are a finite number of ways a human body can move or be manipulated. Various arts approach it differently, but it's the PRINCIPLE that's important, not the "technique." If you've internalized the principles, you don't need someone to prescribe a technique for every possibility.

 

[Flying Crane]

After I'd been training for about 5 years, my instructor told me, "Look, I've already taught you everything I know. Now it's up to you."

I thought that was insane. Here was a professional martial artist who'd been teaching and training in various arts for more than 30 years, and he's telling me he taught me "everything."

After another few years I started to get some insight into what he meant. There are a finite number of ways a human body can move or be manipulated. Various arts approach it differently, but it's the PRINCIPLE that's important, not the "technique." If you've internalized the principles, you don't need someone to prescribe a technique for every possibility.

well said

 

[karatekid1975]

Good post, Phoenix44.

 

[Epson]

I would say, learn many. Master a few. And have a few that you do relatively well, that you can cover the one's you master.
For instance, you have a great side kick than people look out for it. But if you have a few that can set up a sidekick than you are set.

 

[FearlessFreep]

If you've internalized the principles, you don't need someone to prescribe a technique for every possibility

One thing my TKd instructor does during tests is that he will either a) attack us in a way we've trained but say "do somehthing different han we;ve trained" or more often he will attack in a way that we haven't trained a defense for. This is to get us thinking interms on not just set technique responses but in applying the principles behind the techniques we know in a new situation

 

[jbclinic]

rather large or small you'll only use movement to achieve the end goal, once done then see if you can recall large or small

 

[Brother John]

rather large or small you'll only use movement to achieve the end goal, once done then see if you can recall large or small

Not sure what you are trying to convey here... Your Brother John