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Showing posts from June, 2008

TMA vs. MMA

Everyone now-a-days seems to know what MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is. It's what's all the rage on TV and the largest growing spectator sport in the US. In my opinion the premise of MMA has been around ever since we wanted to survive in the jungle, desert, street and if given the flexibility of rules, the ring (or octagon!). A person faced with a threat will do whatever it takes to survive... period. If your daughter was being threatened by some 800 pound gorilla you would do what ever you had to do to protect her regardless of what was traditional, fair, nice or by the rules right? So if everyone is claiming that their art is the "real deal" and then proceed to rationalize why and how they train, how come things break down with a resisting attacker/opponent on the street or in the cage? Why do some people train in things that are more possibility and less probability?? Why do people do things that tactically don't make sense and then justify it by a mish-mash of rat

Same but different

Once again I have been comparing and contrasting various approaches to warriorship , combative tactics and training methods. I have been traveling to New Jersey to train with Jack Hoban ( Budo Tai Jutsu ) trying to better understand their approach to warriorship and tactical combat. Likewise I have also been studying with Mushdaq Ali in Silat which is an Indonesian martial art specializing in empty hand, knife and stick combat. Both are very cool arts with many practical applications. Although my background encompasses many areas it is good to get new perspectives of how things can be the same but different. I began studying martial arts in 1976 and have spent time as a student, competitor, combatant, survivor and teacher in numerous traditional, sport styles, and tactical arts. A few years back I had some complications from a seemingly routine operation that limited my ability to roll (grapple) for a little more than a couple years, putting a HUGE cramp in my training (and my