[mvisit1]

Originally Posted by RJ Powell

mvisit you are being way too bitter here, all you are doing is attacking ninjakilla out of anger without bringing up decent points, we dont need that.. You are also jumping to huge conclusions. He did NOT say TMAs are worthless, he just said they are less effective and efficient in a combat setting. Stop putting words in his mouth.

I've made points if you go back and look. Also, if you go back and look he DOES insinuate that TMA's are worthless, whether or not he ACTUALLY comes out and says it.

[RJ Powell]

He actually gave some credit to "TMAs" in his first post in this thread man. But i guess your just gonna overlook that.

[franz_grinder]

If you take a look at Machida you'll see what Shotokan's rules and point stops can do for your training. They make you very elusive. You really don't want to be hit. Kyokushinka, although varied, are definately a little more bull-headed in their striking approach.

[Pro Killer]

I think the orginal poster with the BB in shootokan was a little harsh on it. I've never tried it for myself but after the Boxers and Wrestlers in my town that I know I rank the Shootokan fighters ahead of the MT fighters as far a fighting on the street goes and that's a fair comparison imo as both styles are stand-up.
It depends on the dojo at the end of the day. Don't really know much about Kenpo except Chuck did it but didnt really find it effective.

KK is regarded widely as the best form of Karate but again thats word of mouth and not personal experience!

[mvisit1]

Originally Posted by RJ Powell

He actually gave some credit to "TMAs" in his first post in this thread man. But i guess your just gonna overlook that.

Some credit? What is your definition of "some"? You couldn't detect sarcasm if it bit you in the ass.

[RJ Powell]

wtf u really think that was sarcasm? He was giving a levelheaded assessment of the arts themselves. He did have a few snide remarks in there, but the rest of it was serious. I think you are just butthurt.

I have achieved 1st dan and have prior experience in all of the arts he mentioned, and i believe what he is saying is a pretty accurate portrayal. Being effective in fighting isn't everything there is to martial arts, there are other aspects like spiritual development and cultivation of a winning attitude. You act like the sky is falling just because someone said your art is a little less efficient in terms of ring combat than other styles that have been ring tested again and again.

I hate when people discredit the ring fighters that are training their asses off day in and day out, they deserve their credit for being willing to actually test out their arts in a controlled environment. If you ever went to thailand you would see the pure determination that these guys carry in their hearts along with they're exellent conditioning and overall toughness. It's like you guys want to have your cake and eat it too, well you can't unless you prove yourselves time and time again.

EDIT: and for the record, my "TMA" training did help me a little bit physically when i decided to train in boxing and muay thai, my TKD and Kyokushinkai training gave me more effective high kicks, unlike MT high kicks, i chamber mine and whip it to my opponent's temple, it is a little bit weaker, but faster and easier to recover, with JUST ENOUGH power to KO someone, i just think the MT method of coming over hard and chopping down the neck is overkill, it doesn't take too much blunt force to KO someone with a headkick. But that is just me.

I also mix chambered roundhouses with Thai roundhouses when i spar just to mix things up and confuse my opponent, with quickness one time, and power the next time.

But imagine how much time i could've spent training in Muay Thai and Boxing and SPARRING instead of doing katas. I would be much better off now. I would trade all my years of fancy low percentage kicks for a clinch game, masterful basic techniques, and just plain fighting experience any day.

[likkuid]

I started off Muay Thai for 3 months and quit. I couldn't stand the teaching - there was no fluidity (the style is great, I mean the teachers - I had approx 20 different teachers [students lots of the time]) and I just wasn't feeling it.

After researching other striking arts, I was dead-set on taking Kyokushin (presumably the 'best' style of Karate - and it has a lot of emphasis on kicks which I like/d). The Kyokushin dojo within 30 minutes of me had a poor reputation, though. The only other one near me I was unable to reach without a car (I was 16 at the time; 18 now). SO, I took Goju-Ryu Karate. I've been happy with it for the past two years. I'm VERY comfortable with my front/side/and round kick (working on spinning back) and can use them at all heights with ease. I'm confident these would help me to win any street-fight I got into (that someone else started) w/ someone w/out MA training.

We haven't learned that many different kicks, though - we just stick to variations of front/side/round for the most part. We just do far too much Kata, and it's starting to really get to me. I don't want to leave the dojo, but I feel so much time is 'wasted' (hesitant to say that) in repeating the same sequence of moves, which I find difficult to adapt to real-life situations. Though, the bankai (self-defence) work extremely well for what they are - self defence. We practice joint locks, throws, breaks, things like that.

ANYWAYS, it's really down to whether or not you want to start ring fighting or just want to know how to fight when the time presents itself (on the street). My recommendation..go with Kyokushin - just make sure the dojo is legit.

[RJ Powell]

^ i agree, it all depends on your goals. Some people could give two shits about MMA, some want to compete, some just like their art, but it seems that everyone wants to get into some type of macho pissing contest about which art is BETTER.

It all depends on what your definition of BETTER is, and in what context, so basically this whole argument is moot.

[T.J.T]

My only grip about the 5 months ive spent training MT, is that i didnt start this 5-10 years ago. I love the art and find it fits my style really well. Im not going to lie, ive never been comfortable bouncing around throwing a bunch of fancy things(not saying mt doesnt have these but i like the focus on power with this art) and from what ive learnt in MT i love the whole aspect and teaching ive recieved.

That being said I in no way think my "art" is better or worse i just thought i would add this to the post. I guess i was just trying to show with the above poster, all these arts will fit people diffrently depending on there "style" of learning, so i dont think you can really say anything is compleatly useless, just maybe not something that is for you.

Also RJ Powell basicly sumed up my first response to you mvisit1, I belive you were either interpreting ninja wrong or you were putting words in his mouth.

[mvisit1]

You act like the sky is falling just because someone said your art is a little less efficient in terms of ring combat than other styles that have been ring tested again and again.

I didn't think the sky was falling, the traditional martial arts I grew up doing weren't even called into question.

I hate when people discredit the ring fighters that are training their asses off day in and day out, they deserve their credit for being willing to actually test out their arts in a controlled environment. If you ever went to thailand you would see the pure determination that these guys carry in their hearts along with they're exellent conditioning and overall toughness. It's like you guys want to have your cake and eat it too, well you can't unless you prove yourselves time and time again.

I have A LOT of respect for ring fighters, I'm working on becoming one. When did I discredit ring fighters? All I've been trying to do the whole time was give credit to traditional martial arts

But imagine how much time i could've spent training in Muay Thai and Boxing and SPARRING instead of doing katas. I would be much better off now. I would trade all my years of fancy low percentage kicks for a clinch game, masterful basic techniques, and just plain fighting experience any day.

You can't spar ALL of the time. Especially not in the beginning. Masterful basic techniques are built through drill and repitition, much like those katas everyone hates. I hate the stigma around the word kata. What is a kata but a series of moves memorized in a particular order and practiced over and over? You do have 15-18 count series' that you drill in Muay Thai, don't you?