My Fitness Journal

[threenorns]

disinfects, for one, but it also hardens the skin - ever see the hands of a salt-water fisherman?

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

Like if I ran into some guy in public and a fight broke out, what would be best to know?

How to run.


Boxing is good - and more useful in a real fight than most of the martial arts from traditional training - until one gets very experienced. Boxers fight from day one of training. In shotokan, we weren't even allowed to go full contact until brown belt. All of them are better than no training though.

BJJ is good on the ground. So is JJJ. Any wrestling is helpful if you end up on the ground - as long as you remember if they truly want to hurt you, submitting them isn't the answer - getting mounted to take them completely out of the fight is.

However, my half joking reply I started with is true. If you find yourself in a fight, you need more training.

I didn't realize you were splitting your knuckles in the gloves. My strikes are always the way perini described and I still split mine sometimes - that's why I wrap them. I don't have gloves. If you are splitting them in the gloves, that must be some strong punching.

Try this for a general explanation of a makiwara:

http://ctr.usf.edu/shotokan/makiwara.html

However, controlled striking of a heavybag will also do.

This pre-occupation about a fight is a young guy thing. You'll outgrow it.

[gcs118]

I think I will stick with a punching bag instead of the makiwara...interesting idea but I'm not so sure I could successfully make one lol. Problem is the punching bag at my family gym here sucks. I can hit it once and it goes flying. I thought it was gonna break today. The one up at school is a heavy bag, 80 or 120 lbs I don't remember, but that thing really doesn't budge nearly as much.

I know the whole fighting thing is a young guy thing, but I still have a few years at being a young guy. I'd like to be able to protect myself or others if I had to. I'm not the type to go out and start fights, but if I or someone with me was in harm, I'd sure as heck step in even if I would get my ass beaten lol. No one really here to teach me any BJJ or JJJ, so I guess it's boxing for the summer. I might fight with my naval academy friend for sh*ts and giggles every once in awhile.

[luke.w]

Originally Posted by gcs118

I know the whole fighting thing is a young guy thing, but I still have a few years at being a young guy. I'd like to be able to protect myself or others if I had to. I'm not the type to go out and start fights, but if I or someone with me was in harm, I'd sure as heck step in even if I would get my ass beaten lol. No one really here to teach me any BJJ or JJJ, so I guess it's boxing for the summer. I might fight with my naval academy friend for sh*ts and giggles every once in awhile.

My training partner is talking about getting into some MMA after this strongman season is over, I'd like to pick up some pointers as well, I leave an area if a fight is starting, but feel I need to be able to defend myself or a friend if necessary, I still frequent some bars from time to time where fights break out regularly.
Not just that, but the conditioning looks great with that type of stuff, I think powerlifting/strongman training can benifit a fighter, as fighting can benifit a powerlifter/strongman, I competed with a young man who wrestles and he trains strongman/powerlifting stlye his coach put him in the 215's, he weighs 190 and is/was destroying them, there were vids of it on the net.

I read some good books like "street justice" Chuck Zito's bio, man that guy got in tons of street fights and it never lasted more than three-punches, he was a boxer, and hell's angels new york chapter leader, he knocked out Jean Claude Van Damn.

another book is "the spiritual journey of Joesph L. Greenstein" the mighty atom, this guy was a wrestler and a strongman, he sent 18 natzi's to the hospital at once with a baseball bat, he was kiddnapped and beaten and left for dead by the KKK, he could not be choked out (because of his teethlifting : ) and got mugged many times in his old age and ending up putting the robber in the hospital.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

I think I will stick with a punching bag instead of the makiwara...interesting idea but I'm not so sure I could successfully make one lol.

A pine 1x4 about 5' tall will work. Bolt it to the floor with a bracket. Bolt it to a block between it and a wall about 1/2 way up. Put a leather pad at the top like you use in boxing training - or just wrap it with rope at the top. Still splits knuckles though.

Originally Posted by gcs118

The one up at school is a heavy bag, 80 or 120 lbs I don't remember, but that thing really doesn't budge nearly as much.

It shouldn't. A heavy bag is for training power. A speed bag is for speed. The one between the two elastic bands (I forget it's name is for chasing around). If you are chasing the heavy bag, it isn't heavy enough for your power.

[gcs118]

I want a heavy bag here at home. Bah. I'll have to work with this speed bag I guess. It's way too light for me and I'm just a beginner. I can't even go all out for more than 2-3 punches without having to reset it. What kinda stuff can I do on this light bag?

[gcs118]

Luke...those guys sound like people I'd never mess with lol. I really don't want to be a professional fighter, but I'd definitely like to be able to hold my own if it came down to it.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

INo one really here to teach me any BJJ or JJJ, so I guess it's boxing for the summer. I might fight with my naval academy friend for sh*ts and giggles every once in awhile.

Ju jitsu are just forms of wrestling. Find a HS or College wrestling coach (or even a wrestler). Avoid all WWE or WCW style wrestlers (no good in the real world). Get them to teach you a few takedowns and some techniques that will help you get mounted. Learn a couple of chokes and how to get into them from any position (especially the bottom). Learn a couple of escapes. Don't get fancy, practice until good at these techniques. Then add just a couple more of each.

What do you think those guys who the Gracie's were whomping regularily did? Learned one technique at a time how to work on the ground. Soon enough, they could keep up.

The fighting with a friend? Good practice - as long as no one is going to get his feelings hurt when he picks up a black eye or broken nose. Stuff happens when you spar all out.

Edit, sorry - I tried to put this all into one post, but messed up on the quote cutting and pasting.

[luke.w]

Originally Posted by gcs118

I really don't want to be a professional fighter, but I'd definitely like to be able to hold my own if it came down to it.

I don't eithier, I like to take a beating from weights, not someones fists, my workout partner wants to this to better himself not compete.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

I want a heavy bag here at home. Bah. I'll have to work with this speed bag I guess. It's way too light for me and I'm just a beginner. I can't even go all out for more than 2-3 punches without having to reset it. What kinda stuff can I do on this light bag?

Jabs/punches/hooks - just not full power. Do longer time endurance work.

If you can't find or afford a real heavy bag. Find a large Army surplus duffel. Stuff it full of Army surplus itchy green wool blankets (cheap and heavy). Buy some chain and a carabiner to hang it with.

Beat on that thing for a while. When the blankets start to pack down, add more. It just gets heavier. This will hold you until you can get a fancy new bag.

[seraph]

using a punching bag is a lot of fun and a good way to get a lot of aggression out. i have one but i havent used it in awhile. i plan on changing that soon. get one that is AT LEAST half your weight

[gcs118]

haha you're most definitely right, the punching bag is one of the top aggression/stress relievers I know of. No place or money for one at home, when I'm at school they have an awesome one. I guess I gotta deal with this crappier one for the summer. I know sure as heck it isn't 100 lbs lol.

[rangers97]

i tried doing my cardio sessions at the gym by punching the heavy bag, and all it did for me was hurt my elbows and wrists....Oh yeah and it made my shoulders and back unbelievably sore, more sore than a weights workout. Maybe someone who has battled with bouts of tendinitis in both elbows shouldn't be beating the crap out of a heavy bag, lol. I found that the lighter bags were much easier for me to punch without hurting myself....but those heavy bags a rough man, I mean it is like punching a wall (well not really, but you know what I mean), I bought training gloves and everything and it still destroyed my joints....

What I did try one time when my wrists were killing me was to try shadow boxing in front of the mirror...I just bounced around and threw various combinations of jabs, hooks and uppercuts at myself in the mirror, lol...that made me pretty sore as well

haven't done this in a while, but then again, I haven't done much of any cardio in a while. My fav is the elliptical and of course my new gym doesn't have any, cheap bastards, anyone know a really good elliptical that you can buy for your home that doesn't cost $3000 like the gym ones? (sorry to go off topic....)

[gcs118]

I love the heavy bag, it wears me out after 30 seconds lol. Shadow boxing is fun, and if you want to step it up a level hold 5 lb dumbbells as you do it. BUT, you can't do fast, slow way down and focus on the motions. They get heavy fast, but your hands will feel so light afterwards. :