Wednesday, March 28, 2012

blending...

I'm learning that blending two offensive combat styles is a different beast than blending two defensive styles. As I've mentioned before, I have lately been adding a few boxing drills to my traditional training. And while the striking fits fairly seamlessly, switching from a TMA blocking style to a more compact boxing one is a bit difficult for me.
This is why I am trying to merge the two.
Firstly, there are pros and cons to each style. These involve a more side-facing stance or a squared-off stance. It involves a closer striking/grabbing lead hand versus "covering up" quicker. However, the premise is the same: minimizing damage by deflecting or absorbing the impact of an opponents attack. And for me, I'm mainly interested in blocking the initial strikes in order to crash inside and use my jiu-jitsu.
To complicate things, I spar with a strong-arm-forward southpaw stance. This is uncommon in boxing where the power comes from the back (same with many martial arts). But I feel stronger defending this way, and feel I can strike faster, and better get inside to utilize throws, locks, strikes etc. Also in sparring, I like to be able to switch stances, to confuse an opponent or readjust an attack strategy on my part.
But as always, I am really looking for a way to get the best of both worlds. Is this more dangerous than committing to one style? Is this counter productive and spreading my defenses too thin?
As long as I don't eat too many punches I guess I'm on the right track.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Crying...

"Crying is okay in karate."
-- My four-year-old's sensei (comforting him before encouraging him to try again)