What is the best martial art?

by Mike

Stick around long enough in martial arts (like, long enough for people to find out that you are a martial artist) and you'll get this question.

There's really no way to answer this one without it being a total cop out - at least not if you want to get out of the conversation anytime soon. Without getting into the "well, if you want to learn boxing...boxing. If you want to drop the kids off so you can get a couple hours of quiet a week...whatever's closest. If you want to 'fight UFC'...anywhere where I don't have to put up with you, etc." you 've only got one real and legitimate answer:

The best martial art is the one that does what you need it to when you need it to.

Without getting all metaphysical or annoying philosophy-student on you, it's not only possible but likely that what you think you need (i.e. want) and what you need are two different things.

Granted, what you need it to do could be anything from preparing you to be a well-rounded fighter for your amateur MMA debut, provide you with a positive atmosphere and camaraderie for your attempt to get (and stay) in shape, or to give you the presence of mind to stay calm save yourself and your husband from armed house invaders. What you need may change over time - hopefully you'll be active in martial arts long enough that you see this changing - I know at least one guy who started training because he thought it was fun, but it ended up providing a focus for him while he quit his alcoholism.

Now, you'll note that what you "need" isn't necessarily the same thing as what you "want."

Or you could just say, "I dunno, whatever those UFC guys do seems pretty good" and point them to How to Choose A Martial Arts School.

Homework: left hook to head, right straight to the body

by Mike

So, you've got a homework assignment this week, given to you by none other than Bas Rutten. During the Affliction 2: Day of Reckoning match between Vladimir Matyushenko and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Bas saw one of Minitoro's combinations (right cross to the body, left hook to the head) and decided to improve it:

Left hook to the head, right straight to the body - for sure going to be a hit, esepecially if he blocks that left hook, that right straight's always a hit. Try it out in sparring, you'll be amazed.

So? Give it a go. Let us know how it works.

Mailbag! Too many rules

I get caught in class from time to time "breaking the rules" my instructors have been known to say "Hey, this is boxing only, you can't throw a backfist!" "Hey, this is kickboxing, no sheilding and kicks above the waist only!", etc.... How or where can I find out the rules to all the different styles we use?

-The Bear

While one might think that knowing the rules and regulations of a given style would be the responsibility of the student, many times instructors don't explicitly describe the rules of a given contest, which can be pretty difficult for new students (whether new to martial arts or new to a given style). This is especially annoying nowadays when most everyone is cross-training and often switching between multiple styles within a single class.

1. For starters, check out the rules compendium. This will tell you the official rules for a given governing body. If you're not competing, you'll be able to skip a lot of the sanctioning/regulatory information, but be sure to read the allowed techniques/fouls section.

2. The ultimate responsibility for students knowing the rules lies with the instructor. There's no harm in asking the instructor to go over the rules before a sparring session to make sure that everyone's on the same page and someone doesn't think that boxing includes a single-leg takedown (true story!). This is a good opportunity for instructors to let people know house rules ("no leg locks for white belts," "don't hurt anyone - if you hit them and they look stunned, stop and make sure they're OK. If they need to, take a break, of they're OK...hit them again")

To be sure, inaccurate or vague rules don't just happen in class - I've been in rules meetings where the entirety was, "We're basically gonna do UFC rules tonight." I won't get started on that, but instructors/promoters please, make sure everyone knows the rules, even if that means repeating yourself.

CC-licensed flickr photo from parhessiastes

Review: Fight Gear Bomber Headgear

One-Liner: Excellent headgear!

Overview:

Before we get into the review of this headgear, make sure you understand why it's a good idea to wear headgear.

Fight Gear's Bomber Headgear is a great piece of equipment. Unlike some headgear, the padding actually helps out with softening shots while still letting you know you got hit. There's an odd little multi-way velcro adjustment in the back that makes sure you can find a tight fit that won't slip around during the middle of a round.

I don't know that the "cool max" lining helps keep you that much cooler but if you sweat it up, I can tell you that it stays slimy and clammy longer than other headgear. But that's neither here nor there because the headgear is MACHINE WASHABLE! Hot damn. Toss it in the washing machine, let it air dry (it can take awhile, so let it sit out on your off-day) and you've basically got new headgear.

The Bomber's durability is great - mine's lasted a couple years and held up nearly perfectly. The only complaints are some of the stitching across the badge on the forehead is unraveling and the hole I use in the chin strap is stretching a little. These are relatively minor concerns and I expect to get a lot more use out of this thing with no problem.

One thing I was pleasantly surprised to find out (yet kind of disappointed at the same time) was that this headgear actually absorbs some of the impact of incoming punches. Unlike other headgear that generally merely protects against headbutts and cuts (and possibly turns not-entirely-flush shots into glancing shots) this headgear actually saved me in a competition - my opponent had me on the ropes and as I tried to swivel out of the way he caught me flush with a stiff cross. I immediately thought "M*therf*fuck, hands up! Waitasecond...wtf? Why am I still standing?" My opponent was apparently thinking the same thing, which gave me a second to finish moving and win the round. Thank you, Bomber head gear!

The Good:

• Machine washable! You have no idea how happy this makes your training partners.
  
  
• Unlike some "stiffer" headgear that merely takes glancing blows and turns them into nothing, this actually has a bit of padding that will take some of the sting off of flush-on punches. Not a substitute for keeping your hands up.
  
  
• Great value for price.
  
  
• Velcro adjustment on the back makes sure it will fit your deformed noggin.

The Bad:

• The chin strap holes can be hard to find on your own and can stretch after repeated use. You may need to have someone help you put it on (or have to leave the chin strap and undo the back velcro).
  
  
• Seems to randomly unravel some of the seams (especially the "badge" on the forehead), but this hasn't affected performance in the year-plus I've had mine.
  
  
• Not suitable for amateur boxing competition, so you'll need to go back to the stiff, leather stuff sometime.
  

Recommendation:

Excellent headgear that will stand up to years of use in the gym.

How to knock out Wanderlei Silva (or other straight-on brawlers)

by Mike

UFC 92 was a sad event for Wandy's fans, but Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's knockout of Silva was nothing short of awesome, especially when you see it as a supreme use of tactics.

A bit of history: the first two fights between Rampage and Wanderlei (Pride 28 and Pride: Final Conflict 2003) ended poorly for Jackon, with him getting brutally KOd in both. The main difference in Jackson's strategy seemed to be: don't try to fight on your terms, instead play into his strengths.

The first thought, of course is, "why in Christ's name would you want to play into Silva's strengths? That's asking for a knuckle sandwhich and a nap in the middle of the cage!"

Check this, though: when's the best time to punch someone? When they're punching. Timing single strikes can be difficult though, so counter into their combinations.

Why into?

If there's ever a time for them to be sloppy, this is it. It's easy for even normally-technical fighters to become sloppy: they tend to let their hands come loose, their mouths open and their chins up. They're also likely to be off balance and are mentally or physically set into their combo so they can't change course in the middle and defend, or even notice that you're standing there, returning blows. If there's ever a time for you to hit someone, this is it.

Countering into combos is a very difficult thing to do, no doubt. It requires highly developed timing, distance, observation and confidence in your defense. A good chin is also necessary in case you miss some of your calculations.

What's a smart way to develop this skill without getting clobbered round after round? Like most other skills, it's really a 4 step process.

• Mitt drills. Like most other skills, mitt drills are the place to get the basics down. Pick a pattern where your partner is attacking and build in places for you to counter.
  
  
• Partner drills. Same as above, but with your sparring gear. This is an excellent drill for all involved - the uke gets to work on tightening up on their game as well as seeing where potential holes in their technique are. After a few rounds with different partners, countering into combos doesn't seem quite so scary anymore. Helpful hint: work with combos of 5 or more techniques at first, counter between the 4th and 5th. Then work your way down until you're confident getting them between "jab" and "cross" (or for local-circuit MMA guys: between "left wild-ass hook" and "right wild-ass hook").
  
  
• Assaut a teme: Like any other new skill you're working on, have one person work a specific combo into your sparring. When they throw that combo, counter into it. This will get you in the habit of seeing combinations coming while still giving your partners the ability to defend themselves.
  
  
• Sparring. This is where it gets fun (and scary again). First priority: observe their timing and tendencies. Second: making them regret attacking you.

You'll know you've developed this skill when your sparring partners refuse to attack you anymore. They might come in for one or two long-range attacks and then back out, afraid of getting caught when they're weakest. Next up are mastering the skills of cutting off the ring and engaging the timid.

Heart-breaking .gif from Fight Report.