If you were to teach just one princple, concept, or strategy to another karate student on how to improve their freefighting what would it be?

Angles of defense and attack.

Assuming a moderate level of skill:
Fluidity
If you are tense or stiff, you can not move in a fluid manner, you also greatly reduce your potential for speed, directional changes and reactions from your opponents positions.

I'm also very much in support of Brent's assertion: Angles!

Change-body (or Tai Sabake). Greatly overlooked in many modern Japanese styles.

Combinations, and the ability to use
them adaptively to the situation.

Learning to read your opponent and to be open and receptive to the subtle "telegraphing" that the body gives you of an impending movement.

Timing. In free fighting timing is very important. It is to your advantage to surprise or to get your opponent off guard.
So it would be good to attack an opponent just before, during or immediately after they strike.

Well one strategy or concept would be knowing knowing the best time to attack their opponent. I believe that there are four times that are best for your attack to take place, anticipation of an attack from your opponent, the beginning of their attack, during their attack and immediately after their attack. During these times your opponent is off balance and has already committed himself to movement...More later...Take care...Ken Bright

To have an indomitable spirit.

Kind regards,
Andy

Understanding the ranges of yourself and that of the opponent. Tough stuff, there are so many considerations one needs to be come successful in this arena.

Killer instinct. Get rid of the defensive mindset.

distancing and timing

Shadowfax said it first, so either ippon ken or making every block hurt.

I agree with omegapoint, tai-sabake is a great skill to have. I also would have to say timing your opponent and your attacks

I have to go with controlling distance. If you can control distance, what can the opponent do? Given the ability to control his position and yours, you can evade his attacks easily, and pick and choose your strikes. This is the true strength of arts like Aikido and Bagua.

HAVE FUN DOING YOUR BEST.
THE REST WILL COME AND YOU'LL ENJOY IT TOO!

KISS

Keep it Simple Sailor.

Step one: Defense. The art of footwork. Watch boxers for hints and clues.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by taebot:
KISS

Keep it Simple Sailor.

Step one: Defense. The art of footwork. Watch boxers for hints and clues.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG] [/QUOTE] 1 REspect your foe 2 Sidestep/parry your foe,So you will be out of danger,& Your foe will be open for a strike. 3If Someone pulls you, Exaggerating the movement, will bring him off ballance,& Then strike.4 Punches,& Kicks must be rapid,Or can be used As a combo,with the fists high & kicks low.5 Let your breath out as you punch & kick,& Dont just bring your hip into the punch,Or kick,But bring your body into your punch/kick when it's time to finish him. 6 When ever you'er a attacked,keep it simple & direct. 7Keep your stances short,So you will be able to move faster. 8The Body posture,& Distance of your foe ,Will let you no when to,& When not to strike. 9 You should always be moving,Rather it's to confuse your foe, O to finish the fight. 10 Be aware of your suroundings. 11Strike when the opprotunity presents itself. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]



[This message has been edited by isshinryu kid (edited 02-22-2003).]

Turn your head to look so not fighting fighting blindly.

Concept/ "A Mind Like Water" Like a pond without disturbance is like a mirror reflecting everything, When disturbed it reflects a distorted obscured view, so keep calm as emotions can prevent unlocking all the techniques in the rest of the brain if it disturbs your breathing and awareness. The chinese concept is Wu Wei , mind of no mind. Zen.

Adaptability. 'nuff said!

Possibly : "ZANSHIN"

respectfully

rrbraxton

I would go a bit deeper and teach them proper breathing. When you can control your breathing you can control your mindset, and when you can control your mindset you can master distance, timing, and killer instinct, as well as maintain fluidity.

relaxation. relax your mind - relax your body - be aware and react or if needed take the iniative and strike first and get it overwith (easy to write - hard to master)

a

[This message has been edited by KE Long (edited 03-17-2004).]

Step out of the way, then strike back, and leave the area.

Don’t try to go for the perfect move. Fight with your head & heart. Know what you’re fighting for.

If anyone of you has really studied your literature you would recognize this quote from Beowulf "Fortune favors a man often enough if his courage holds" T win in Kumite competition you must first realize that because we don't play karate of shaolin kenpo, or Judo we fight, everyone will be a bit nervous , the key to success is realizing that you are nervous and so is your opponent. GUTS is 75% of fighting, that is provided you have trained properly. The other key is to realize that for the vast majority of students you will never make a living as a tournament competitor, and if you make a living as a Martial Arts instructor which is the dream of many practitioners, no student will ever ask you what your tournament record happened to be as a brown belt. So don't take it too seriously it is not life and death, and win or lose it will probabally not affect your life either way.

I'd teach them how to block good. if you can hit, then you need to be alive long enough TO hit.


-Dante Kazuma,Ranger of the Takura Sugi

using the weapen that is the most effective and closest to the nearest target.

also KISS

A problem ive found that people incurr in free fighting in karate is that they often fight in 'tram-lines' by this i mean that from practicing basics they become very used to moving forward and backward and pretty poor at sidestepping,id teach the concept of circular walking used in baguazhang to correct this problem.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chen Zen:
Adaptability. 'nuff said![/QUOTE]

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

Being able to fight at all ranges is of primary importance. Having a gap in your ranges will expose a great hole in both your offense and defense. Striking and grappling (and weapon) training are equally important to every martial artist.

This may appear off topic but it's important if you ever compete or practice with people from other arts.

The short answer.
That its like Chess.You have to be able to create or find openings to get that Checkmate.

Good Afternoon Sire:

Simple, the principle of being a grown-up, an adult... someone who AVOIDS the avoidable and lets others (less mature) be drawn into such vortexes <sp.?> of others problems, issues, nightmares.

Learn that skill, that core principle and the pysical technique is very less likely....
J

Great thread! Lots of excellent ideas on here already, can't really argue with any of them.

I vote for sensitivity - maintaining contact with the opponent makes it difficult for him to "surprise" you.

There are many principles and all of them good however, as always being one to think out of the box, I'd go with;

Realizing that understanding a principle isn't enough, you have to be able to apply it, and that understanding it doesn't mean that you can.

my motto (till i find a better one) "watch the handle" apply as you want.

I would teach awarness...no matter what martial art you do, awarness is important.

Attack, attack, and attack.

I myself have found the old cliche "Dont hesitate" to be "the one" principle I like to play. Either CHOOSE to attack or stay away on defensive.

(Deceptive) Footwork.

The one principle that I think differentiates good sparrers from bad ones, is the use of control in sparring. This is control over one's reactions- not flinching cowering or blocking wildly and therefore losing your guard. The cool head always wins over the hot one.

Get off the line. Every attack is from point A (his hand or foot) to point B (your body). If you start to backpedal, I can chase you from here to Kentucky but I will get you. If you step to the side, all kinds of opportunities appear aside from you not getting hit. I trained my studends in this with a big wall and a tennis ball. I don't throw where thI think they are moving, just where they are standing (point A to B). They learned the concept of getting off the line.

Mu-Shen, No Mind, Even if your body is weak or strong, trained or not. If you remove your personal investment in the situation and all the bad habit we learn. You CAN survive anything. Personal Experience and that of my yeachers tells me that it is so.

"teachers" nyeh... typos