The Type Of Person You Train For

[bushidomartialarts]

I am not nervous about the loudmouth that is braggin about himself. The quiet guy that is being bragged about is the one that I don't want to fight. So if I do train for anyone it would be that guy, I guess.

a good point. even worse is the quiet guy nobody's bragging about, but is half your size and walking straight into you like he knows something you don't.

 

[Jenna]

For myself, I like to prepare for the worst. Now, I've heard people say, "Why train for (insert random attack) when chances are, it'll never happen. Thats true, maybe I'll go through my entire life, never having someone bearhug me, but I still train for that attack. I may never have a gun pulled on me, but I still train gun defense. I may never end up on the ground, but I still grapple.

Hey Mike
Great thread up to your usual standard!! I absolutely agree with your sentiment above.. and if I had just one statement to make it would be that attacks for real NEVER happen the way you think they will.. and so personally I believe that NO training we ever do is without its own merit..

We cannot write off any type of training onthe basis that the situation which warrants its use will not arise.. I have been attacked and NOT up some dark alley at midnight but in broad daylight out in a busy thoroughfare and NOT by some bulked up trucker dude but by someone well known to me.. that is just how it is.. attacks are seldom predictable and I think many of us have been moulded into thinking they happen along certain sterotypical patterns which can mean we are not adequately prepared at all (myself included)..

FWIW.. I think you are spot on.. if we train for AS MANY eventualities as we can dream up.. then we put ourselves in the most favourable position..

Again.. good thread sir!

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[terryl965]

Hey Mike
Great thread up to your usual standard!! I absolutely agree with your sentiment above.. and if I had just one statement to make it would be that attacks for real NEVER happen the way you think they will.. and so personally I believe that NO training we ever do is without its own merit..

We cannot write off any type of training onthe basis that the situation which warrants its use will not arise.. I have been attacked and NOT up some dark alley at midnight but in broad daylight out in a busy thoroughfare and NOT by some bulked up trucker dude but by someone well known to me.. that is just how it is.. attacks are seldom predictable and I think many of us have been moulded into thinking they happen along certain sterotypical patterns which can mean we are not adequately prepared at all (myself included)..

FWIW.. I think you are spot on.. if we train for AS MANY eventualities as we can dream up.. then we put ourselves in the most favourable position..

Again.. good thread sir!

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

Hello Jenna glad to see you are still around, you have made some great point here.

 

[Bigshadow]

What are your thoughts and what type do you train for?

The type that want to harm me.

 

[PeaceWarrior]

I have to agree with pretty much everything that has been said. In my own training, so far I am working on your usual boxing type punches, haymakers, grabs on the wrists, grabs on the shirt, grabs from behind, chokes, and a few against attacks with knifes. Each technique I learn is really not meant to be a "once and for all" move, but to teach me a principle of body mechanics, or sau (arm movement), etc.

IMO its not necessarily the techniques you train but the principles you can understand from those techniques, and then apply in many different situations. You can learn a hundred joint locks, but unless you really understand the principles behind them you will struggle and your technique will be useless.

but yeah, to answer your question, I train for the worst case scenario, someone who is bigger, stronger, and faster, who knows how to fight. That way, there is always room for improvement!

Good thread!

 

[searcher]

The key to fighting/defending on the street is your ability to adapt. As has been stated, no fight ever happens the way you want it to.

 

[elder999]

In my mind, he's just like me, only a little younger, a little bigger, a little better trained, in a little better shape,and positively sociopathic. Sometimes he's empty handed, sometimes he has a knife, and sometimes he has that baseball bat club with the nails through the head, just like in the comics. He's looking at me like I slept with his girlfriend/mother/wife, or molested his kid, or just have something he wants. He wants to rape and kill my wife, or my daughter, or my son, or that nice lady at the coffee shop where I get my paper, and I'm the only thing that stands between them. He really hates me-wants to take my head right off my shoulders like in one of those terrorist videos, and mail it to my mom. Somtimes he's on drugs, or a little drunk, or both.

The only ones who dislike him more than me are my training partners, who constantly tell me to "get that guy out of your head."verkill: :lol:

As for technique-well, in the end, does it really matter?

 

[Rich Parsons]

I'm curious to hear what type of person you train to defend yourself against. We have people in the world that have zero skill, some that are moderate and some that are highly skilled. Some say that the odds of running into someone that is highly skilled, is pretty slim, while others say that they train for the worst case scenario all the time.

What are your thoughts and what type do you train for?


For myself, I like to prepare for the worst. Now, I've heard people say, "Why train for (insert random attack) when chances are, it'll never happen. Thats true, maybe I'll go through my entire life, never having someone bearhug me, but I still train for that attack. I may never have a gun pulled on me, but I still train gun defense. I may never end up on the ground, but I still grapple. IMO, while I train for the worst, I think that average will be the no skill to moderate skill. I just don't think that the average person will have the skill of a Royce Gracie or a Filipino Master. Are they out there? Sure. But I think that the guy thats going to try to mug me to support his drug habit, isn't going to be the guy thats training to be the next UFC title holder.

When I started I wanted to learn techniques on how not to break people so easily with strength. Control and disarms. I wanted to train for the average street thug.

I now train because I enjoy just for the sheer pleasure of training, but the opponent I train for now is another Rich. One that is at least as good as me, and most likely better than me. Not trying to be a meglamaniac or throw around my ego, but, the number of people I expect to get into a fight with gets smaller and smaller each year. Yes my skills are hopefully getting better, but the issue is that I am more likely not to be in a location where a fight might occur. I will use more of my verbal and or avoidance skills than my physical skills.

So, I guess I train to fight myself now.

 

[mijemi]

I'm only new to martial arts so at the moment I'm trying to focus more on the basics and defending against those attacks that are more likely to occur like muggings, sexual assaults etc. As time goes on I'm hoping I can be a bit more prepared for the worst case scenario but don't expect too much of myself. I guess I believe being able to do something even if you come off second best is still better than doing nothing.
Cheers

 

[MSTCNC]

OK... I know this may come out wrong... and I DO NOT wish to sound elitist in saying this... But, I train in the Martial Sciences... to learn how NOT to fight...

It hasn't always worked... and I've had my fair share of scrapes and what not... but, all in all, I believe it's worked out fairly well...

Perhaps I've just been lucky...but, I haven't really been in a lot of physical fights in my life (39yo)... most issues have been resolved and/or otherwise evaded in some manner rather quickly...

The others were dealt with... and I still have a few marks left from some of those...

After all... if there were no confrontation to begin with... who would need to fight... and over what would they be fighting?

Now, having said all of this, I'd have to say that... when visualizing an opponent or opponents during training... I will usually attempt to conjure up the strongest image that would worry me the most if I ran across them out on the street... and then I picture myself fighting their big brother...

Just some food for thought...

Your Brother in the arts,

Andrew

 

[Drac]

I train like I expect someone to kill me or worse yet my wife. Being a combat veteran from the Marines, I take my training very serious

Every former Marine I EVER met had the same kind of attitude..I wish a lot of my LEO brother and sisters would adopt that attitude

I always expect at least two attackers.

Which is why we enforce in the academy to "scan the area" when making an arrest..To insure that the suspect doesn't have any friends waiting to help him...

 

[Cirdan]

Someone or multiple someones with two legs, two arms and a head.

 

[morph4me]

That's the LEO way too...

Except that LEO's have different goals when they start, and they always seem to be running in the wrong direction. I'm not concerned about making an arrest, and I get to run away from the problem

 

[Shotochem]

OK... I know this may come out wrong... and I DO NOT wish to sound elitist in saying this... But, I train in the Martial Sciences... to learn how NOT to fight...

It hasn't always worked... and I've had my fair share of scrapes and what not... but, all in all, I believe it's worked out fairly well...

After all... if there were no confrontation to begin with... who would need to fight... and over what would they be fighting?

Just some food for thought...

Your Brother in the arts,

Andrew

No, that's not elitist at all. It's an admirable goal that we all strive for.
I would rather laugh it off and walk away that fight on any given day.

Sadly, there are others in this world that do not think as most of us do.

-Marc-