To pe or not to pe, that is my question

[bpcw]

I used to box when I was a lot younger actually, what I learnt helped me get out of a few scrapes when I started going out drinking and getting into trouble. We used to go full out at times when sparring and people regularly got knocked down or black eyes, you soon learnt how to duck and dive! Not like some of these poxy martial art classes where you get a higher belt for doing a set of moves in slow motion!

You'll laugh Sol, I used to serve on the altar at a catholic church on a Sunday morning then turn up to boxing training a bit late afterwards and everyone knew why and they'd take the mickey for it, 6 of us from the club were picked out for special training as we were the best in the club.

Them were the days!!!

Those were the days. Now in the west, if you punch someone even in Self defence you could get arrested for assault.

As for the alter boy thing, that's pretty funny. I also used to serve in the alter, at one point I was the head alter boy. When the priests were gone and I was left in charge, we would get semi-smashed on the church wine

That's funny!

[Budge]

I don't know about the rest you but the more proficient one becomes in any fighting style the more in tune with your environment and surroundings you become such that you know what and when to avoid situations and places.

Absolutely. The first maxim in Krav Maga is to "walk home safely." Run, buy your would-be opponent a drink, etc., do almost anything to avoid a significant physical confrontation. But if all else fails, get in first with overwhelming ferocity.

Cobra Kai: Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.

Or, a corny martial arts saying: "You learn to be great at fighting so you never have to."

Reminds me of a chap I knew at Uni. He was highly trained at Jiu Jitsu, but also did other stuff like punching a piece of wood on the wall. Not ideal to share a house with.

Some of us asked him once what the best 'move' was in a confrontation. He said 'Run for it'.

He was often challenged to fights in pubs because of the way he looked and because people knew about the Jiu Jitsu. I never once saw him in a fight, although I have no doubt that he would have easily prevailed in nearly all instances.

That he had the ability but avoided fighting at all costs, indicates a true master.

The piece of wood is a western adaptation of the Japanese makiwara - a total misunderstanding of the original's purpose. Too many view the makiwara (and knuckle push-ups, by the way) as a method to harden the knuckles for punching. That's dangerous crap. The real purpose of the makiwara is to strengthen the wrist and forearm and instill proper form so you have the ability to punch and strike and not hurt yourself.

The traditional makiwara was a board say 4" by 4" about 8 ft long buried a couple of feet in the ground. About the top 4 ft would be cut at an angle to narrow the amount of wood to about an inch at the top. The striking portion was wrapped with rope. The aim of the post was to flex under pressure and give increasing resistance the harder it was struck.

Too many have broken knuckles and damaged wrists on those boards on the wall. And as to this myth of hardening the knuckles - you cannot harden the skin in between the knuckles - get something extraneous in there (someone's tooth for example) and see how that works. My own epiphany came putting on a seat belt and driving the metal edge between the knuckles. Damn did it hurt.

[harryg]

Thank you Budge, interesting info on the makiwara.

Chap was a very scary-looking medical student, we used to joke about how we would feel if we woke up after an operation and he was standing there with a stethoscope.

He was good as gold really.

[Eric]

...get in first with overwhelming ferocity.

Cobra Kai: Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.

The brother of a guy I know was trained in the military to "win by an overwhelming show of violence". Basically few people are willing to keep fighting you after you rip their ear off or tear a nostril wide open. Friends of the person you're fighting are also extremely unlikely to join in after witnessing that.