Training The Basics Hard..some thoughts...

Millionaire

Here I was today, working the guts of an hour on the heavy bag.

Sweating hard. lashing in right crosses, and thai kicks.

I was thinking , this is lonely work... I wish someone would show me something new. why do I have to do this day in day out?

Then I realised, I know how to punch, I know how to kick, knee and elbow.
no one is going to make me better.

It is up to me to train the basics hard, and harder. 1000s of times, 100,000 of times a year. I realised I do not need to learn a new "trick" , I have the tricks, I must become a master by traning them over and over. improving my technique, improving my focus, my speed, my power, hitting harder. etc

Its the discipline of training the basics that is going to get you there in the end, regardless of what your training goals are.

Pushing through when you do not want to, or when something is on your mind. Pushing through the pain barrier.

I thank the lord, that I am not in some place training, where the priority is learning "flying dragon melts the tiger" or the lastest triple spinning jumping crescent kick. and I was thankful for have the willing to improve the basics which I have been doing for years, but can still do better.

I felt happy then. I was doing the things, many MA people consider boring. or "I know that...teach me something else" (orange belt mindset)
or that I was not like somepeople I met in fairtex camp who complained the training was boring, and no one showed them anything new...despite the fact that the top Fairetx champs did nothing but the basics over and over in the ring beside us.

Mastery is a long hard lonely journey.! I love it!!!!

Roper

Nice post.

Invariably, when we hit pads, we start out with basic jab-right kick, cross-switch kick combos. Every night. And sometimes I see some guys throwing their eyes up! But the best still do the same stuff I do, they just do it better cos they've done it over and over and over and over...

Millionaire

Thanks Roper... and I forgot to add...

I looked around at the thai fighters , and they were working alone on the bags, all pushing themselves to do the same thing....basics.

Today I was working on improving my right cross, to a piston powerpunch, focusing on arm extension with power, and snap back in the punch. and also on power on by right kick, and getting the hip over more! and I will do the same tomorrow and the next day and the next day....

Boru.

I remember something similar ages ago. I was practicing zenkutsu dachi (front stance in Shotokan) over and over, just walking the floor. Tryin to feel rooted and centred and concentrating on driving power. It was about the gazilionth time. I realised I was totally sick of it, that training was just the same thing everyday. Stance, punches blocks, always the same, bag work, makiwara the same.

I took a few days off training and was in my kitchen making myself some lunch and decided to do a little practive while the kettle was boiling. I stepped forward and did the most profoundly perfect front stance. It was an awesome feeling. It was balanced, grounded. It just felt perfect.

I went back to training that night and havent stopped since.

Here's to training.

john kavanagh

Basic technique - a fundemental done poorly

Advanced technique - a fundemental done correctly

fighting is just fundementals and timing...there's nothing else:D

Millionaire

and a wee bit of grit and determination thrown into the mix.

Anthony Robbins (sorry John ;-0 ) who trained black belt until famous TKD master Johoon Rhee said that Master Rhee said black belt broke down into 6 or 9 (not sure exact) basic moves, and if people mastered these , they would be on the way to that coveted belt....but few people were willing to master them.

Basics will win the day! : - )

paul moran

Congrat Millionaire,

I think you've just reached "Enlightenment":D

Dave Joyce

fighting is just fundementals and timing...there's nothing els

I don't think I'd put it that simple, John, what about ringcraft, experience, guile, attitude, conditioning and probley (to me anyway) HEART!

BrianD3

There's a lot to be said for simplicity. And you could make it simpler still. For instance, punching the heavy bag, you will be using jabs, hooks and crosses but which one is going to be most effective in a self defence situation when your hands are unwrapped and ungloved and you're having to fend off some idiot. Answer, the jab. If you can perfect the jab and become lightning fast and accurate with it to both the head and body then that's a great thing to have.

john kavanagh

Dave Joyce wrote:

I don't think I'd put it that simple, John, what about ringcraft, experience, guile, attitude, conditioning and probley (to me anyway) HEART!

well just voicing my opinion.

maybe it comes down to definition

i would put ringcraft (footwork?) under the heading of fundementals

and i would say experience will lead to good timing

conditioning is of course paramount but this is attribute training, not fighting.

as for attitude and heart - these are fighter qualities which i think are there from day 1, they can't be taught. i think a good coach can help a fighter hone these qualities and help bring them out but some people just don't have it.

not sure what guile is, a function of experience?

i think if people were to spend most of their time perfecting the fundementals of fighting such as footwork, hip movement, basic combos, defence etc in stand up and solid fundementals in clinch and ground then they'd get functional fighting ability a lot quicker than always chasing the 'coolest' new technique

judomick

i think to get to the level where you have great fundamentals and timing requires discipline and heart, as John said its there from day one .....if its there at all, thats why people quit or keep going as owen roddy says "a blackbelt is a white belt who didnt quit!"

Niall Keane

For my 2 cents intent / heart is what makes a fighter.

It takes a strong intent to constantly repeat an exercise, it takes a strong intent not to show pain, to keep fighting after a few knocks, to not show tiredness, all things being relatively equal between two fighters and a strong intent is what it will come down to, how many times has a fight hinged on this? Gerry those Thai boxers are good because they can’t get bored because they can never be satisfied with their own skill. Ali once said, “You got to have the skill, but the will has to be stronger than the skill.” It’s cool what you’re doing pal; I liked John Kavanagh’s take on basic and advanced too.

We have a drill called rolling thunder where you punch holding 2 kg weights in each hand for 20 minutes, never letting the hands or elbows drop below shoulder level, at first its painful and so many give up the exercise, then it can be monotonous, and some then just drift through the exercise, learning and improving nothing, those who end up being good fighters are always mindful.

The Chen family has said: “Practice as if there is an enemy before you, so you can fight as if no one is before you!”

Niall Keane

Gerry,
posted a reply to your question on ptcc on the "martial arts in D6" thread, sorry for delay, been away,
Niall

pearsquasher

I totally agree with training the basics/fundamentals all the time, all the way until you teach them.

Mentally, "Morals" and "a sense of justice" are important too in M.A. "Spirit" is another word for "heart" in the sense of fighting but "spirit" can also lead to "victory" without needing to get physical.

Cabelo

Spent all of last night doing lovely basics... I basics. This is a fine thread.

Cabelo

You've never seen my basics kiddo

ShaneT

Hey Gerry. Good to hear that you are alive and still very much kicking. Your dulcet tones are still sorely missed in training.

I'm with you on this one. It's not often you see "flash" winning. It's the meat and potatoes that keeps us alive. But I definitely know how it feels to be the only one in the gym going another round on the heavy bag and thinking, "there's Bulmers in the fridge... ...what the hell am I doing here?"

Glad to hear you stuck it out.

Millionaire

ShaneT wrote:

Hey Gerry. Good to hear that you are alive and still very much kicking. Your dulcet tones are still sorely missed in training.

Glad to hear you stuck it out.

Dulcet Tones of me screaming in agony after one of them full contact leg kicks!!!! LOL !!!!

Everybody, if you want good tough basics training, get
down and check out Shanes club www.mmaireland.com

Shane has real good and hard training for those who like
that sort of thing!!! Stand up and ground = MMA

Highly recommended! I had a great month or 2 there
before I came over to Thailand, and a few great spars!

Check it out lads!

ShaneT

Millionaire wrote:

Check it out lads!

You always were and always will be my pimp...! :eek: Still, I appreciate the thumbs up vote.

pearsquasher

pearsquasher wrote:

Mentally, "Morals" and "a sense of justice" are important too in M.A.

I 100% disagree. They may be important in a member of society but i have never seen martial arts foster greater morality or a greater sense of justice.