Fight Seminar - I watched

Kyoshi held a new type of seminar at the dojo this week, it was for people who were thinking of going into the ring. Specifically, the clinic was for those considering or preparing to compete in Warriors Collide by Left Hook Promotions which is a local group that is putting on amateur MMA fights around four times a year. A pair of ladies who train at our dojo make up 2/3 of Left Hook so we follow it pretty closely both by having a big turn-out at their events and having several people go into the ring.



The class had maybe 20 people attending of a variety of skill levels and ranks including several women (two who are particularly ring-ready). Kyoshi started with basics and orientation like hand wrapping and rules and some training principles. It made it real clear how different competitive fights are from the sparing that we do with our training partners in class. He emphasized how important it is to develop speed and to enter the ring healthy and unbruised. So for most of your training, you need to be really good at hitting quick, but not hard. If you train and spar daily, and you're not great at moderating power, you just won't make it to the ring unbruised. So tap, tap, don't rap.

They also learned some of the techniques used in the ring which are not used when sparing at our dojo. In the fights, they allow leg kicks and knees to thighs, stomach, and chest. And take downs although they stand you back up immediately (ie no grappling and ground and pound). And mostly, you need to really watch out for the person coming at you. Guard up.

I watched and thought about it. While I don't expect to go into the ring, I do think about it. If only I was thirty years younger... Realistically, trying to get and stay fit enough to make 2nd don is plenty ambitious for me. But, next time I feel on top of my game, I might just try one workshop. See how it feels to play with a bigger arsenal.

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