Power Solves Problems Fast : Especially in a Streetfight

In a streetfight you have about a three to eight second window of opportunity to finish your opponent and get away before it becomes more dangerous for you.

After the window of opportunity is closed anything can happen and it’s usually not very good.

You can both end up on the ground, more than one adversary can appear, weapons can be drawn against you, and your energy will be severely drained.

So why would you be throwing love taps at your attacker when he is totally
committed to ripping your head from your shoulders and kicking it down the street.

There is no reason why anybody should be sparring with their adversary when in a streetfight.

That’s why I tell people to have intent when they train in the gym or dojo, spar like you’re in a streetfight, and not like you’re in a cardio boxing class.

Hit the heavy bag, and focus mitts like you mean it, don’t just go through the motions, fight!

Don’t stand there in front of the heavy bag or whatever you’re striking and throw punches at it, move!!! Put some reality into your training.

You think your attacker is just going to stand there and take your best shot and not do anything about it until you’re done throwing your ultimate knock out punching combination.

GET REAL AND START TRAINING LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

One thing you need to start doing is increase the power of your strikes when you hit.

You need to start putting your weight behind your punches to deliver true power punches.

Don’t get caught up throwing jab after jab thinking that will keep your attacker at bay while you set him up with your cross to knock him out, cause it ain’t gonna happen.

Hard stiff power punches will win you the day and keep you safe in a fight.

You won’t have time to throw those light fluffy set up punches you’re use to throwing in the gym.

You’ve got to come in hard with both fists and moving thru your opponent with your strikes.

You must be unrelenting as you fight your adversary.

With power you can dictate how the fight is going to go. With power your punches can literally knock the fight right out of your adversary.

You will be able to anchor your opponent in place with your power shots long enough to hit him with another punch with your other fist.

Another thing you’ll be able to do with your power punch is keep him off balanced and unable to retaliate as you continue to deliver your strikes.

Also with power you can demoralize a multiple opponent attack by taking out one or two attackers quickly.

After that the rest just might not want to be the next one to go down hard and fast on the pavement.

If you fight someone who has a weapon, he may not be able to deploy it quick enough before you catch him with a power strike.

And if he does deploy it, your strikes may be more than enough to knock it out of his hands or knock him out or both.

So now you have plenty of reasons to fight with power both in the street and in the gym.

Train to unleash your power with either hand and from whatever position or angle you find yourself in and don’t settle for anything less.

Striking powerfully with every punch you throw in a streetfight starts in the gym or dojo, the way you train is the way you will fight so you better have power in abundance.

I hope I have opened your eyes as to why you need to work on developing your power for a serious streetfight.

So train hard with intensity, power and reality, and never forget a streetfight is not a sparring match.

And remember if you find yourself in a serious street confrontation, power can solve that problem quickly.

Daniel Sambrano
http://www.superherosystems.com/

13 Reasons Why Batman is the Greatest of Super Heroes

1. Batman is human and has the same weaknesses as we do, so he must be vigilant at all times and never let up his guard.
2. Batman has no “Super Powers” so he must rely on his martial skills and physical conditioning.
3. Batman uses technology to help him in his crusade against crime.
4. Batman uses his mind and his instincts to out smart his adversaries.
5. Batman’s true strength lies within himself.
6. The name of the Dark Avenger sends chills down the spines of his adversaries. He is to be feared by those that do evil.
7. He does not give up!
8. He is relentless!
9. He learns from his mistakes and does not repeat them.
10. He knows his strengths and limitations and also his enemy’s.
11. He is confident and sure under pressure.
12. He has fear but is in control of it and does not show it.
13. He is a man who is mortal, and both he and his enemies know this.

Many will read this and say that Superman is the Greatest Super Hero of all times.

I would strongly disagree for you see Superman is invincible his only weakness is kryptonite, he has Super Powers, he can fly, move at the speed of light, has inhuman strength, super hearing and heat vision.

He has no fear of death for he is not of this world, but put him back on his world and things would change very quickly.

He would be average stripped of his powers, nothing special just an “Average Joe”.

His strength would be normal, he wouldn’t be able to fly or move at the speed of light.

His hearing and his vision would be like everyone else on his planet. And most importantly he would be mortal and vulnerable to injury and death.

What Superman takes for granted on earth would be a detriment on his planet.

Batman on the other hand became a Super Hero the hard way he trained himself to be one.

And this is why Batman makes it to the top of the list every time.

So the next time you find yourself in deep trouble, don’t just pray for a Super Hero, become one just like Batman.


Daniel Sambrano
http://www.superherosystems.com/

What's your martial arts motivation?

I've been pondering that question a lot lately. What motivates me to continue training and teaching? What keeps me coming into the gym 3 to 4 times a week to teach muay thai to people, many I hardly know.

With 10 years of marketing experience you'd think I'd have been monetizing the crap out of the current MMA / muay thai craze, but I haven't. The google ad revenue from this blog covers the hosting fees for my domains. I haven't tried to sell DVD courses, and I haven't tried to start a clothing line like a lot of other people. Maybe I should.

Logically, money should be major motivator. However, every week I keep coming back to the Muay Thai Academy International where all of us instructors teach for free. Muay thai is a part of who I am, the school is my Cheers, and I'm it's Norm.

I love the feeling of satisfaction when a concept 'clicks' for a student whose been struggling with a certain technique, or the beam in a new student's eye when I show him something he's never seen before.

I love sharing what I've learned from my experiences with others. If I can find a way to make a living off of it, bonus. But my passion for the unique style of combat oriented muay thai is what truly motivates me to give what I can to who I can, without hesitation.

Boiled down: Enabling people to protect themselves and their loved ones from multiple assailants without reservation, efficiently, through overwhelming, destructive force is my motivation - and perhaps my mission statement.

Enough self-serving banter from me. I challenge you to examine your training and explore the internal drivers that motivate you. I encourage you to look beyond the ego and really be honest with yourself as to why you're doing what you're doing. You may be surprised with what you find out about yourself.

Thai Pad Drills Train Offensive and Defensive Skills

Training with thai pads isn't just for the person striking, it benefits the pad holder as well. It works your timing, range, footwork, and defensive bio mechanics. This concept is universal whether you're training muay thai, MMA or even boxing. The videos below will do all the talking for me.



Free drills allow the striker to throw any technique he/she chooses. This trains the thai pad holder's reaction skills. More importantly, it'll help improve your ability to read body language, to learn to trust your own abilities and face the reality that in a fight, you won't be able to expect your opponent to throw a prescribed set of combos at you. Strikes are gonna come from different angles at different times. Oh, and you're going to get hit in the process of learning,  but that's why you signed up for muay thai, right?

Hand wraps for muay thai, boxing, and MMA...my way.

Everyone has their own way to put on hand wraps. Hell, most fighters have their own favorite type of hand wrap, it all depends on the style they practice. I used to train with boxers who swore by old school gauze hand wraps. There are Mexican hand wraps, standard boxing hand wraps, and muay thai hand wraps (which are longer than the typical Everlast wraps you'd find at Sports Authority). Muay thai hand wraps usually come in lengths of 180 inches, where are western boxing wraps come 107 - 110 inches in length.

A lot of people use hand wraps to protect the knuckles, I prefer to use my hand wraps as wrist protection. Since I train for street combat, my emphasis is on wrist protection, as I'll most likely never wear boxing gloves for a night out on the town.

There isn't really any one single "silver bullet" method, but there are some best practices in regards to protection. Here are some things to consider when it comes to wrapping your hands:

1. Keep the wrap tight, but not so tight to where you're cutting off circulation to your hands.
2. Make sure you maintain good wrist coverage. Wrist injuries have longer lasting effects than knuckle injuries.
   
3. Listen to your instructor, but it's alright to try different methods of wrapping.
4. MMA gloves do not provide better wrist protection than well wrapped hands. If you're going to do more than a couple rounds of striking on the heavy bag, wrap up!
5. Hand wraps, like boxing gloves are for protecting you during training, and there's a huge difference between striking wrapped up and striking bare knuckled.
   
6. If/when you ever get into a fight out there in the real world, remember this: if you throw punches, don't aim for the face - it's the best way to break your hand. Hard weapon to soft tissue.
   

In the video below I goof up. I think I said that I use 107 inch wraps. WRONG! I use muay thai wraps in order to get extra wrist protection. Whoops-a-daisy.





Here's another way to wrap up, however, I do not in any way approve of those lame, seriously lame shorts.

Getting murdered in the forums

I just stumbled upon an old post on the popular blog MyMuayThai, which is almost entirely focused on covering the world of sport muay thai. And the guy does a good job at keeping up with fighters, tournaments, etc. I highly suggest subscribing to it if you're into ringstyle muay thai. I myself am a subscriber.

I don't view MyMuayThai as a competitor, actually, I think his content compliments what we're trying to do here at Beyond the Ring. One of his articles piqued my interest as it covered the opening of a UFC branded gym in the San Francisco Bay Area. I put in my two cents, quoted below:

"I teach & train in Santa Clara at Muay Thai Academy International – word on the street is that UFC doled out a ton of money into that facility. They supposedly brought over a Lumpinee champion to head up the muay thai training program there (there’s no bearing on if the training quality will be any good since MMA waters down everything it touches).

Additionally, I also heard that the pricing is going to be cheap, like 24Hour Fitness cheap. I drove past it, it’s huge, set up for high volume. My guess is that they’re gunning for the 24Hour fitness crowd while undercutting the local MT schools like Fairtex and Team USA in the city. Take a bite out of Fairtex (imho, the first wave of McMuay Thai schools) = good, but overall for the integrity of the style = bad. It’s gonna end up franchised & diluted like krav maga."

From there it was open season on Donnie. I appreciate that a lot of people will watch my videos and say that it's not muay thai, its a joke. Our opinions are formed by what we see day after day. The muay thai I've trained is not made for the ring, nor the cage. It is a blend of lerdrit, muay chao cherk, bando, and muay boran - and its designed to end a fight as quickly as possible - whether you're fighting a noob or a seasoned fighter. I'm not restricted by rules, or traditional names for each technique. My instructor trained under masters in Thailand, the Royal Thai Military, and various counter-terrorist tactical teams throughout the world. A major influence on my view of why one would fight.

So, I guess I don't fit the mold as a purest because I don't see the practical value of a ram muay. Sport techniques belong in the ring. I understand that that most of those poor opinions of me are based upon someone viewing my technique being used in the context of a competition.

Oh well, I don't drive a big truck, I refuse to wear TapOut clothing, I like my hair where it is (on my head), my baseball caps are well broken in, and my instructor certification came by way of years of hard work, not weeks at a seminar.

My apologies for the rant. I really appreciate the niche we've carved out. What we're doing here is outside of the status quo in the sports combat world, and I'm sure to step on some toes on the way. Oh well! Here's the link to the original thread. Flame on!

The Major Purpose of Fistic Instruction

The Arm of Jack Dempsey

The purpose of learning to box is to teach a person to defend himself with his fists.

This is what Jack Dempsey said back in 1950 and wrote about in his classic book “Championship Fighting”. This is one book I read again and again and always come away with something new with each reading.

Today boxing coaches, trainers, and martial arts instructors have all but forgotten the purpose of using the fists to protect and defend one’s self. You see you don’t start with the premise of learning to box for sport or competition, but for self preservation. You learn how to strike powerfully for one purpose and one purpose only, to knock out any assailant that would try to hurt you, by causing enough trauma by way of your fists to their body and head.

Forget about the jab being used as a set up for your more powerful cross, you don’t have the luxury of time for this in a street fight.

And having a strong side and weak side stance just won’t cut it either.

And don’t even dance around your assailant throwing light punches to score points because that ain’t happening.

And whatever you do, don’t throw your punches the way a boxer does you’ll most likely break your hand, because you won't be wearing any gloves or wraps.

What you need to know is how to make a proper fist with your bareknuckles, and how to throw it for maximum power. You also need to know what angles are best to punch from, and what footwork is the most useful in a streetfight. You must develop non-telegraphing strikes that are so dangerous you could permanently damage your attacker instantly.

Learn to fist fight like the champions of old and develop explosive punching power with both fists and learn to be a true pugilist.


Daniel Sambrano

www.SuperHeroSystems.com

Why You Need to Fight Flat Footed

Life and Death Considerations

In combat or a life and death street-fight, you will be moving in a linear manner.

This is due to the adrenaline rush that shoots through your body when faced with this type of situation.

Your vision will narrow forcing you to only see what is immediately in front of you.

This is what is called “Tunnel Vision” you will also develop “Auditory Narrowing” which means your hearing will be limited.

You will be moving in gross motor patterns due to lack of blood in your limbs from the adrenaline rush.

Being human not only will it happen to you but also to your assailant.

Tactically speaking moving in a linear manner makes sense, moving forward and back, side to side or diagonal is still moving linearly.

Typical martial arts or boxing footwork like shuffling, pivoting, bouncing on the balls of the feet are all complex movements that take skill and time to master.

And this means that they are not going to be there to use when the brain goes reptilian on you.

Fight or flight is what will come to mind instead of dancing around your adversary like you’re at prom night.

Power Generation

What about power generation? Fighting flat footed increases this important element.

It puts your weight behind each punch, balances and stabilizes your movement, and also strengthens your linear movement.

It also develops explosive shifts and drop steps which adds to the power of your punches.

And finally, it helps to root the body to the ground to deliver the force through your body and into theirs.

When in Rome

In ancient times warriors in Greece and Rome would fight flat footed in combat just like they do today in the armed forces.

Can you just picture a Spartan warrior dancing around on the balls of his feet fighting his enemy?

Not likely, after all it was life and death that was at stake on the battlefield.

Staying closer to the ground gave them more of an advantage at close range.

So if you found yourself in a life and death situation wouldn’t you want to fight the same way and have the same tactical advantage?

The Flat Footed Advantage

When you stay on the balls of your feet to fight you lose power.

Although you’ll have speed and quickness you won’t have the force to take someone out in a street-fight.

Staying on the balls of your feet will only engage the front quads of your legs and the calf muscles of the lower legs.

This may be fine when boxing or sparring in the ring to score points and win rounds, but it can be a bad tactic in a street-fight.

By having your feet flat on the ground you distribute the weight evenly across them.

Your glutes and hamstrings along with your quads and calfs get activated and engage your whole posterior chain giving you more power in your punch.

Fighting flat footed helps to root you to the ground, and makes you more stable and balanced.

You’ll be able to generate more ground force which translates to more powerful punches.

Also you’ll be able to shift and change direction very quickly and solidly.

And one more thing, you’ll be able to absorb more impact from your adversary.

Something to Think About

How much force can you produce on your toes? I bet not as much as you can flat footed.

Don’t believe me, here is a way to find out:

Dead lift your full bodyweight flat footed on an Olympic bar, now do the same on your toes or the balls of your feet.

Which one was easier to do?

Which one was more stable?

Which one was able to generate more force?

Now walk around with that same weight across your shoulders flat footed and then on your toes, which one feels stronger?

And finally squat with that same weight again flat footed and then on your toes, which one produces more ground force?

You’ll instantly see why being flat footed produces more force, more muscles are being used.

And let’s not forget, better balance, coordination and stability when moving and striking.

This all translates as an advantage in a street-fight.

Conclusion

I hope I have provoked some outside the box thinking on your part.

Now am I saying that you should always fight flat footed? No! Of course not.

I just believe that too much emphasis has been placed on fighting on the toes or ball of the foot and not enough has been given to flat footed fighting.

There should be a balance of both and knowledge of when to use each one.

After all there are times when being on the balls of your feet has its advantages, like running away from a dangerous situation.

Until next time, train hard, stay safe.

Daniel Sambrano
http://www.superherosystems.com/

Turning the Fist into Sword and Shield

The Greeks added boxing to the Olympics in 688 B.C. in honor of Patroklos the slain friend of Achilles.

All the Olympic games of the ancient past had their origins in the need for combat training and thus closely connected to actual battle.

The ability to box and wrestle were both battle preparation activities, and so athletes were restricted to the standing battle related positions of combat.

Boxing ( Pugilism) is one of the oldest combative activities in history.

Carvings and paintings show people fighting with their fists over 5,000 years ago in ancient Sumeria and over 3,000 years ago in ancient Egypt.

The word “Punch” comes from the Roman (Latin) word meaning to “Stab”.

The ancient Greeks considered boxing (pugilism) more dangerous than pankration due to the more severe injuries caused by boxing.

It was widely believed in ancient times that boxing began as a way for warriors who used shield and spear/sword to grow accustomed to the movements of fighting in combat.

The complex stepping movements of the legs; the strikes and parries of the arms holding the weapon and shield would help train a warrior for battle.

It should not be forgotten that the stance and tactics of sword and shield play were identical to those of boxing (pugilism).

The shield held in the left hand was used to jab, slam, bash, pummel or block and the sword in the right hand delivered the killing blow by stabbing or slashing.

The left lead foot was kept in front so the shield would be better positioned to protect the holder, while the unshielded right side was held back away from the enemy.

Boxing was also a way to develop the physical and mental toughness needed to face adversaries in combat on the battlefield.

The Spartans were pugilists as were the Romans and other warrior cultures.

Today by participating in boxing (pugilism), you are taking part in a great and legendary tradition stretching back to the beginning of time.

So when you train in boxing don’t just dance around throwing light jabs as you shuffle and slide with your footwork.

This just doesn’t mimic combat at all or train you for the real thing.

This was not how the warriors of the past trained; they would step, shift, and strike with power, purpose and intent.

They never wasted any movement because in combat it could cost them their lives.

To them it was a matter of life or death, and this is how you should approach your training if you want to use it for self defense in the street.

So when you train think of your fists as shield and sword/spear deadly weapons to use against your adversaries.

When you punch your opponent don’t just hit him; stab him with your fist, smash him with your shield (arm) and finish him with your sword/spear (fist).

Get ancient on his ass when fighting, after all this is how it was done in combat on the battlefield.

And this is how it needs to be done on the streets today.

So train accordingly.

Daniel Sambrano
http://www.superherosystems.com/

Drinkng and knife fighting doesn't mix

A recent article in the Telgraph reported that knives, and yes, swords were used in 58 per cent of all homicides in Scotland for the period 2008-2009. What more, the article ties Scotland's drinking culture to the marked increase in murders by blade. This correlation between the murder rate increase and alcohol consumption certainly put to rest my curiosity concerning sword-related deaths.

Here are a couple key take aways from the story:

- More than 80 per cent of victims were killed by someone they knew and 41 per cent of those accused were drunk or on drugs at the time of the crime.

- Hitting and kicking someone to death was the method used against 10 per cent of victims, with eight per cent poisoned and a further eight per cent struck with a blunt instrument.

- Five people were strangled, three were killed by fire, two were shot and one was drowned.

- The profile of victims and those accused of killing them showed men in the prime of their life most likely to be killed by another male fitting this description.

- The statistics also revealed that 30 per cent of those accused of committing homicide were drunk and six per cent were on drink and drugs.

Knives, straight blade razors, and other improvised blades are easy to conceal and can be carried into most social establishments (bars, pubs, night clubs). A guy with a knife doesn't have to be a kali expert to inflict severe injuries, and no amount of testosterone can shield you from a knife attack. My advice, based on my own experience, is to check your ego at the door when you head out for a night with the guys. Ignore the impulse to puff out your chest and bump shoulders with random guys that you pass on the street. It's not worth it. You certainly don't want to piss off a drunk, sword weidling Scotsman!

Source: Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/7300139/Record-knife-killings-in-Scotland.html

RUMOR ALERT: California to Allow Elbows in Amateur Muay Thai Bouts

Last week California Muay Thai blog let it out that elbows will soon be allowed in amateur muay thai fights. The California Athletic Commission currently allows elbows only in sanctioned professional muay thai fights. Unfortunately, most pro muay thai fighters in the US rarely use their elbows in fights, and it shows. The elbows I've seen in fights stateside, they're usually thrown from way outside their effective range.

If this alleged easing of the regulations does come to pass then I'm optimistic about American muay thai fighters' and the overall improved quality of elbow use in future fights. This should also create a ripple effect in how muay thai camps and MMA schools throughout the Golden State treat the elbow as part of a fighter's arsenal. My hope is that there will be a widespread improvement in regards to attention paid to technique and an increase in time spent training & instructing the elbow strike and all of its variant angles and applications.

Please comment if you have any news on this subject.

Don't Take Away My Muay Thai Round Kick!

There's a lot of dogma surrounding muay thai's most fearsome technique - the round kick. Krus and ajarns, and fighter/instructors teach us that in muay thai the round kick is thrown one way, and one way only (their way). He throws the kick as his instructor before him, and the master before him. The shin bone is a miniature baseball bat; K-1 morphed into a muay thai tournament due to the style's domination; MMA fighters have adopted it as their primary leg strike; it is arguably the most feared technique in modern martial arts. The round kick is steeped in this mystique of indomitable aggression. There just isn't any room for improvement, is there?

I say yes, but not improvement through evolution, but improvement through digression - taking the muay thai round kick back to where it was first used: on the battlefield. Over the past 100 years or so - since Westerners introduced gloves and fighter promotions to muay thai (muay boran) around the turn on the 20th century - fighters and their trainers begin to modify their offense and defense to better protect themselves. Certain techniques that were known to cause severe damage were removed. Fighters' careers begin to last longer and everyone involved made money. Hence, muay boran was relegated to become a sort of sideshow demonstration for tourists. Over time safety techniques were perfected, and that's what we have today in modern ring style muay thai. The widespread popularity of MMA has further degraded muay thai techniques due partly to their trainers, partly due to the "crash course' style training a lot of MMA schools practice. But I digress.

Back to my point. - I'm getting there - We've got to go back to explore what the purpose of the muay thai round kick was originally used for. It wasn't used to score points or wear down an opponent. The target was the side of the knee - it was used for incapacitation. If the warrior lost his sword, his elbows and legs became the replacement weapon until he could rearm himself. Muay Chao Cherk is Krabi Krabong without swords. The kick would have to be thrown quickly, without a windup. And chances are slim that the desperate warrior had the time and opportunity to throw that kick from the "appropriate" distance. He could have been uncomfortably close, or out of reach, they may have had to throw it from a run.

So what I'm saying, and can prove is that the popular muay thai round kick that 99% of the martial arts schools in North America teach is not the 'end-all-be-all' kick. It can be further modified to generate up to 40% more force. It can be thrown from inside of elbow range - lerd rit CQC kick; from 5 feet away, from a walk, a run. The muay chao cherk kick was thrown with a drive from a standard range. With just a little bit of bio-mechanics knowledge and simple application of basic physics (f=ma, torque) you can modify your cookie cutter muay thai round kick into a strike that can end a fight when it counts (outside of the ring). Oh, and inside the ring or cage, your opponent will only block the first few strikes before having to resort to an evasion strategy.

Muay Thai Elbow Strikes Adapted for the Street, Still Useful in the Ring

The elbow strike in both muay thai and in MMA has been taught/trained as a close quarter strike, usually employed only in the clinch. I say, that's not entirely so. Adding drive to en elbow strike can not only be thrown from a longer distance, but can actually replace the heavy handed cross punch.

In the context of a street fight or close quarter combat situation (which is the main focus of my teaching) this driving elbow is a very important weapon in my arsenal. Here's my top 3 reasons why this technique is so important to know:

1. Power. The added force from your drive makes this elbow strike harder than a stationary round elbow by at least 70%

2. Dynamics. Unless your on the movie set, its a bad idea to believe that a single hit will end a fight. The driving elbow allows you to move while you strike, at an angle, moving you away from your opponent's center line. Since you drive in at an angle, you remain close enough to the bad guy to continue using elbows and knees while staying deep inside his range. Always throw multiple strikes (at least 3-5), then move and repeat.

3. For muay thai and MMA practitioners the drive elbow can help you blast through your opponent's cover, or at least the barrage will make him rethink how he needs to defend your upper body attacks. It's also a great technique to integrate in to combinations.

Here's a combo to try the next time you're in the gym:
Jab > Cross > Left Driving Elbow > Right Driving Elbow > Right Knee > Left Elbow
These strikes should force your partner to move backwards as you throw this combo. Note how your weight shifts as you strike with the driving elbows, and the last elbow should be thrown as you're coming down from the knee (no movement wasted). Let me know how it goes.



Tehcnorati - 2P6ZEU7EZD6E what a pain.

Hey everybody here is another reason why you need to learn how to punch bareknuckled, cause you never know...

***************************************

Iowa man ordering food at a restaurant

called a zombie, then punched twice
Associated Press: Last update: October 25, 2009

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa City police are investigating an early morning assault in which a man accused another of being a zombie, then punched him twice. Police said the assault occurred at 1:17 a.m. Sunday at an Iowa City restaurant south of the University of Iowa campus.

A man was ordering food when he was approached by another man who called him a zombie, then hit him in the eye. When the victim tried to call police on his cell phone, the man punched him again, breaking his nose.

The man then ran out a back door.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

******************************************
Now what can we learn from this incident so it doesn't happen to you...

What Was The Guy Ordering?
What else "brains", yeah, obvious Zombie. No question.

Anywhere, Any place
"Doesn't matter where it happened. Zombies can attack at a restaurant, mall, home, anywhere. Thank goodness this citizen was there to stop him."

Bad Zombie Hunter
"This guy has no idea how to destroy a zombie. Severe head trauma, people!

A punch to the eye is only going to make the zombie mad."

That's the trouble...
...with Iowa City. All the friggin' zombies.

Out Break Tip
"You have to be careful when evaluating a potantial zombie outbreak."

Zombie Tip
Physical contact with a zombie is never a good idea.

The Bottom Line
The only thing that works permanently is REMOVING THE HEAD!

So be careful, alert, and aware at all times and above all learn how to knock out the zombies that get in your space.

Take care

Daniel Sambrano

Adaptation is important in fighting and online videos

Last week I shot a quick video to throw up on YouTube that covered basic defense and counters to a hay maker punch. The key take away from this is not so much about technique, but more about developing the ability to recognize targets and exploit those opportunities on the fly.

Shooting a YouTube video with an experienced partner is completely different, and less realistic than doing that video with junior students or individuals who have no martial arts training. Experienced training partners know what is expected from them, and they react exactly as you want them to. That's how the technique on some of those martial arts guru videos appear so clean. But if you try and shoot an unrehearsed video with a newbie you'll get a reaction that is true to what you'll see in a real street fighting situation.

This video, I think, proves the point. I did the shot with a newer student who had not yet learned the techniques I was demonstrating. His reactions forced me to adapt to the situation in real time in order to eliminate his threat. This is especially true against multiple opponents.

I highly suggest that you add "playing" to your training regimen. Playing, as I call it is having a partner throw a specific technique (punch, elbow, knee, kick, knife attack, etc.) and as you counter you play with various counters. Look for targets, and use angles & footwork to move around your opponent. And drill this over and over, It really helps develop quick thinking and situational awareness.

Remember, there's more than one way to skin a cat, especially if you happen have a karambit!

Top 20 Street Fighting Mistakes

Here is a video from the guys of FightTips.com which show mistakes people make when fighting in the street.

My favorite is no.#10 - Keeping your shoes tied tight. I loved this one, it's very funny but so true.

The only tip I would disagree with is no.#12 - Don't hockey fight: Don't grab with one arm.

When adrenalized you will tend to grab or punch to one side more than the other, this is due to gross motor movement patterns.

Plus you will get more power from striking this way since you will be crossing center line and getting more of your bodyweight into the strike.

But that's just my opinion, Shane and Terrell have made a very good video on what can happen when simple mistakes are made.

So watch and learn and above all don't make these silly mistakes when fighting.

Take care.

Daniel Sambrano

Bareknuckled vs Gloved: Six thru Ten

Here is the next group of reasons why you should consider training barefisted and not just with wraps and gloves exclusively, especially when it comes to streetfighting.

6. Barefists tend to fracture the bones around the eyes, the cheeks and the jaw.

You see when striking with gloves you have a large amount of padding on them as you strike your partner when training, not so when hitting someone on the street.

Your barefists are harder and can really do some damage on a face when hit hard.

You can slice open the skin on your opponents face with your knuckles and break the orbital socket around the eyes much easier than you can with gloves on.

7. Gloved fists allow you to get away with hitting areas you wouldn’t hit barefisted.

When you’re sparring with your partner in the gym, you tend to not pay much attention on where you are hitting.

You may hit an elbow, top or side of the head or maybe even his glove and not think anything about it; after all you’re wearing gloves and wraps to protect your hands from such inconveniences.

But do that bareknuckled in a streetfight and you will end up injuring your hand.

Training bareknuckled teaches you where to damage your adversary without damaging your fists in the process.

8. Gloved Fists Produce lazy hands and wrists.

When you train exclusively with gloves and wraps, you end up relying on them more than you know.

You forget to tighten your fist on contact, due to the fact that your wrap and glove don’t allow for your fist to clench properly.

You also end up relaxing your wrist since the wrap is supporting it; this is a recipe for disaster or an accident waiting to happen.

I can guarantee, you will hold back on your punches when striking bareknuckled if you have lazy hand and wrist syndrome.

9. Target areas are bigger with a gloved fist.

When using gloves they can be almost two to three times the size of your hand and depending on how much padding they have, that makes for a very large striking surface to hit with.

Your bread and butter strikes won’t hit or impact the same when you land them bareknuckled, since the target area will be smaller.

Your distancing will also suffer since your fists won’t be as thick as a glove would be. So you better start to get in closer or extend that arm a little wider if you plan on hitting anything.

10. Gloved fists make your strikes heavier, due to the weight of the glove.

When striking with gloves they can weigh up to one to two pounds per glove.

You will get used to hitting with that weight on the end of your wrist as you start to throw that leather around, but let me warn you it won’t be there when you have to throw those same punches bareknuckled.

Your fists will be lighter and will be carrying less mass to strike with; your hooks won’t tend to pull away from you as you throw them since the centrifugal force won’t be so strong. You do realize that’s why hooks are easier to throw with gloves on don’t you?

Well I hope that this information will help you realize the importance of training as close to the real thing as possible.

Remember you will fight the way you train, so train the way a fight will really go down.

So stay safe and train hard, real hard.

Until next time.

Daniel Sambrano

The reality of real fights

Everyone is a critic when it comes to the Internet and the content that gets posted. My videos receive mostly great feedback, but there's also the contingency that reminds me that the technique I demonstrated could be easily countered with a spinning back kick, or a hook to the body. Perhaps a well timed wedgie could render my strike useless, in a vacuum.

But the reality is that each fighting situation is different, and those golden opportunities to use that ca-ca-ca-combo breaker technique rarely presents itself. Fights are usually spontaneous, involve more than 2 people, and sometimes introduce improvised weapons. The video below came from MyMuayThai's blog this morning, and it reminded me that training for a fight in the ring does not prepare the fighter for what could happen outside the squared circle.

Here's a few tips to survive a situation like the one you're about to watch:

1. Look for an exit, if possible make your way towards it.

2. Do not stay in the same spot long - be dynamic, moving about in a zig-zagging, unpredictable manner, constantly changing directions.

3. Try to remain on the perimeter of the room/area. If you're in the middle of the room, get to the perimeter.

4. If you have to engage somebody in a brawl, think about incapacitation, punching to the head will not stop an adrenalized attacker.

5. Watch for flying objects, this video provides a textbook example of how it works.

This brawl escalates pretty damn fast, and the 4 minutes fly by.

Bareknuckle Boxing for Beginners

Here are some basic considerations when learning to strike bare fisted for the first time.

You must wrap your head around the fact that punching bareknuckle is different then gloved.

Also the impact is different on the body.

Next the making of a fist is very important along with the correct angle to strike from.

You also must understand that modern boxing comes from pugilism or bareknuckle boxing and is different in its techniques and tactics.

The angle of the fist and the knuckles you hit with will be more important when punching bare fisted.

A “fist” is not just your hand only, but also wrist and forearm.

You will need to use a softer heavybag of 40 to 50 pounds, made of leather with 2 inch of padding and stuffed soft, hard bags are made for gloved punching.

If you can’t get one make a bag out of two canvas dufflebags stuff one into the other and then filled with rags and sawdust.

You want your bag to feel like a body, and sink in a little when you punch it, just like a real opponent.

You can also use a soft leather medicine ball to strike at if you don’t have a heavybag, but you will need a partner to hold it for you as you strike.

These are just a few basic things you will need to do if you will be training to punch bareknuckle.

Remember it’s more than just taking off your gloves and hitting a bag or a person.

Do it wrong and you can injure your hand badly, but do it right and you can be a force to be reckoned with.

Take care and above all train smart.

Daniel Sambrano

BareKnuckled vs Gloved: One thru Five

Here are five facts to think about when training with gloves and wraps for self defense purposes.

If your used to using gloves, you may be in for a rude awakening when you have to hit someone without any hand protection.

There is nothing wrong with using gloves to train with provided you know where they belong in a self defense training program or a sport fighting program.

That difference is very important for you to know.

So here are five differences to give you something to think about.

1. Striking with an unprotected fist is hard.

You have to know how to punch correctly, get used to not wearing gloves, understand which part of the fist to strike with and how to hold your hands to defend yourself. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a whole lot more that needs to be understood.

2. Extremely skilled fighters tend to break their hands in street-fights.

Many fighters get so used to wearing gloves that their hands get more prone to injury, after all wearing gloves and wraps is alot like wearing shoes and socks for the hands.

3. Gloves throw off your distancing.

Most gloves are so padded that they extend anywhere from one to three inches from your fist. This will make your strikes come up short when you take off your gloves as you'll be more used to their striking distance.

4. A gloved fist doesn’t cause damage the same way a bare fist does.

Most strikes with a glove are spread out equally on it's surface but with a fist it is more compact so the impact force is more solid. And a barefist can get into areas that a glove can't.
In other words it hurts more getting hit with a bare fist.

5. A gloved fist turns the punch into a push.

Since the padding of a glove can be very spongy as you hit your target, you'll end up pushing thru the glove as you make contact.

So there you go, think about these five differences as you train, especially if it's for self defence purposes.

Daniel Sambrano