​To Give You Have To Be Able To ReceiveIn martial arts, nobody wants to get hurt. If you fight or seriously train, it is going to happen sometimes. Everybody wants to dish out punishment but nobody wants to receive any. Ask any good fighter and they will tell you they've had their share.

It's cool to win and I prefer to do so by stoppage as opposed to decisions. Against opponents I have knocked guys out with punches, kicks, knees, etc., dropped guys with body shots (even breaking ribs), I've kicked opponents in the legs tearing up knees, choked them, arm (popping some ligaments). Sounds cool right to take out an opponent. But what about what one receives himself along the journey of Captain Badass.

As a combat athlete, I have had my share of injuries. The lists include ACLs, meniscus tears, dislocated fingers, broken a big toe, hyperextend joints (from getting hit along with submissions, hip out of place (trying to kick heads off with spin hook kicks), torn cartilage, 18 stitches around the eyes (head butts and punches), tendon shortening (years of throwing hard right hands), calcium deposits causing bumpy shins and forearm bones (from blocking bone on bone), slammed on my back (needing an adjustment afterwards), black eyes, split lips, swollen noses, sore jaws, crooked teeth, punctured ear drums, corneal abrasions, cauliflower ears, and a few more.

So in order to learn the way of inflicting pain on an opponent, one has to experience it. You appreciated the effectiveness of techniques applied to their fullest. No theory but reality for those who choose the path.

​Best Style For Developing Kicks Is Taekwondo In looking at martial arts styles that develop kicking ability, I will say that Taekwondo is the best style for developing kicking skill. Now, there are many styles of martial arts that practice kicks, but Taekwondo specializes in kickboxing like boxing does in punching. Kicking skill is harder to develop other skills. The flexibility, dexterity, timing, accuracy, and distancing, needed for kicking an opponent harder to develop than many other aspects. When people looking at the sport of Taekwondo, they will criticize and say that the sport is impractical forgetting to look that the unique aspects that one can derive from that sport (as in all combat sports). Having been a Taekwondo player myself, I can say that the kicking skills of high level Taekwondo is way up there. Because the emphasis is on kicking you have better cardio (an olympic style match is 3 rounds). You can punch to the body, but the opponent wears a chest protector. This makes it difficult because you have to be able to punch really hard to get through it. To illustrate, check out this video to see I use my kicks.

Shidokan Technician Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP3fnwVSKJU

​Erik Paulson Vs. Sean McCully Bare Knuckle No Hold BarredInteresting video here, where No Hold Barred Legend, Eric Paulson fights Sean McCulley. In this fight no gloves are worn, hair grabbing, spiked elbows, grabbing the shorts, and cage are allowed. The only thing not allowed is submissions. So, the have to beat the crap out of each other. The good thing about studying this clip is that you see all of the striking weapons (fists, feet, elbows, knee, and head butts) applied. You will see bone on bone at it's best. Please review for your study.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtD4l2gx-S8

Still Having A BlastI am blessed to be in good health and find ways to test myself. I am on old guy having fun these days. For the past several years I've competed in Judo. I competed with the young guys into my late 40s. Now I primarily compete as a Master Athlete in the M5 Category (50-54 years old). The last time I put on 10 ounce gloves in competition was in 2005. I got a call a few weeks ago from my old friend and training partner, Kelly Leo and was to be part of Team USA in a modified kickboxing competition against Team South Africa at the Annual Battle Of Atlanta. Along with him and one of my students (AJ Weathersby) we got together trained a little as a team and we had a blast. We competed in a format that provided contact fighting without anybody getting seriously injured. All the fights were competitive the old guy (Me) doesn't get hurt. I was able to use good technique and compete out of pure fun. I no longer have the desire to hurt anybody, so the event was great for me.


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Whenever competitions come up I try to get my students to compete. Competition allows you to test yourself and elevate your skills. The funny thing is that a week or 2 before these events, the number of competitors going dwindles. They have to go out of town, or they have to work (whereas they didn't work weekends before), and a host of other reasons. Now, I am talking about the guys who come and beat each other up in the gym and say that they want the fighter life but they really don't (and that's OK, just don't say you do if you really don't). On several occassions (actually about 15) I have hosted events over the years (fight shows, tournaments, etc.) and I've had great difficulty getting my own fighters to fight on them. I once had a guy commit to and event and leave a note on the door with a written excuse that he couldn't make it (one day before). Most who get in combat sports have the desire to get out there and compete, so, if you can, do it. You only live once.

Everybody wants to be a professional fighter but not everyone wants to pay their dues. What type of dedication does it take? Are you running, hitting the bag, doing your conditioning, and getting your sparring rounds daily? Are you getting the proper nutrition and rest (not hanging out and partying too much). Do you visit other gyms to train with other people or do you stay in your own safe training environment? Do you stay in shape so that if you get called to fighting tomorrow, your are ready? Will you fight anybody and think you can be the top guys? If you can answer these question with yes, then you are ready to be a pro. If not, you're just a hobbyist. 

In judo, submission comes off of transitions. Also, they happen fast! Unlike other grappling arts, judo requires one to get it done quickly. So, what happens is explosive and precise attacks. Check this highlight of choking attacks (shime waza). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTtVCzC7rhg

In the Olympics there are 2 eastern martial arts included (Judo and Taekwondo). Karate has been vying for a sport in the games since the 90s and will be a spectator sport in the 2020 Tokyo Games. There are a lot of Karateka excited about it and a lot not. Judo and Taekwondo as sports have gone through many changes since their inception. Whenever a change is made some folks are going to disagree with it. Many of the changes are necessary to make the sport worth watching and interesting to sponsors. As we saw with the sport of Wrestling, viewership and interest went down over the years and they were almost taken out of the games. Now Wrestling has modified the rules and the uniform (long sleeve, so there will be more scores), so that people can better understand what's going on. Changes in these sport are good because if they get viewers they reach more people. The purist have a problem with these changes because they tend to be close minded. If these changes increase viewership and revenue, they stay around. Martial artist who look at competition as something bad are usually those who would never get on a mat and test themselves. They will criticize those who do.  When people see martial arts on TV (movie, sport, etc.), interests increases. If a kid goes to a martial arts school because he or she wants to be an Olympian, it is a good thing. They get exposure to the marital arts, they have an opportunity to compete and the instructor has the opportunity to show them other aspects besides competition.

You go to school and study something and then you go into the real world and find out that most often things are not like they are in theory. This is the case in most fields of study. Medicine, Law, Mechanics, Cooking and Fighting. In martial arts, so many practitioners get got up in how things are supposed to work. I see guys over thinking and talking about what they think will and won't work. I am of the mind set of learning through doing. I don't think about strategies and pre plans in combat. I believe in having an open mind and being adaptable to the situation. There is no specific way you have to do anything. There is no script to how things will play out. You figure it out through doing and then you use that experience to build on. When choosing a surgeon, patients will ask for referrals to find a doctor who has the experience and reputation to make them comfortable. When you look for a builder to redesign your home, they usually come through referrals. These let you know that they have experience. You usually don't go for the new inexperienced guy. In martial arts, I am amazed that people will join a martial arts school with the intention of learning how to fight from instructors who have never fought. These same consumers will go to the barber shop and ask for a Master Barber. They don't go to the barber school for the free cuts from the up and coming barber. Now it would make sense to get free lessons from the new martial arts instructor with zero fighting experience. But, a lot of people pay a lot of money to somebody who has some stripes on his belts and no fights. I'm not saying that one can't find quality instruction from such a guy. But, in most cases I would never let somebody with less experience at doing what I'm trying to learn teach me anything. I've they don't have the practical experience, neither should you.