Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
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  • #30561
    boucheed
    Member

    Last tuesday i had my first class. Two things I can say about this. Since the location I attend has changed its curriculum beginners are mixed in with personnel of different levels. That is a good thing because the instructor matches you with someone close to you level. However I realize there are certain fundamentals I need to work on which I am sure will come with time. I realized I do not know how to throw a proper punch as I bruised both my pinky and ring finger knuckles on my right hand.

    Are there any suggestions out there as to what I can do out of class to better prepare for class?

    Thanks

    #60589
    cjs-dad
    Keymaster

    Re: First Class

    Hi Boucheed

    Is it a Force training class or regular KM level?

    #60590

    Re: First Class

    quote boucheed:

    Last tuesday i had my first class. Two things I can say about this. Since the location I attend has changed its curriculum beginners are mixed in with personnel of different levels. That is a good thing because the instructor matches you with someone close to you level. However I realize there are certain fundamentals I need to work on which I am sure will come with time. I realized I do not know how to throw a proper punch as I bruised both my pinky and ring finger knuckles on my right hand.

    Are there any suggestions out there as to what I can do out of class to better prepare for class?

    Thanks

    For some reason, most military combatives training I’ve seen pretty much leaves striking out of the curriculum. What I ended up doing was buying the KM book, which breaks all the techniques down, and a free-standing bag. I also ended up picking up the DVD set. It takes me a long time to pick this kind of stuff up, so I try to practice for about an hour a day on my own (doesn’t usualy end up happening, but thats why i said try :cool:).

    As far as punching with the wrong knuckles, I used to end up doing the same thing. As with all the problems I had that were brought to my attention by my instructors, the best way I’ve found to fix them is to just slow down. I tend to try to get overly-motivated and aggressive when I train, but going overboard like that in the begining is just a good way to pick up sloppy technique and hurt yourself.

    Hope this helps!

    J-

    #60615
    andy-m
    Member

    Re: First Class

    Hi Guys,

    I agree with Downforlife – I reckon that in the first instance slowing your techniques down and getting the mechanics right will pay huge dividends down the track. You can always build speed and power, but if the basis is not solid the other things will not come the way you would like them.

    DFL, not sure why the military combatives you have seen do not really involve striking. I reckon that there is a clear need for both striking as well as grappling. During my military experience, when striking with the hands we always used the heel of the palm, vice using a clenched fist “normal” punch. The reason for this was primarily to do with maintaining your long term capacity to fight – if your closed fist connects with an enemy’s combat body armour or helmet you will be in all sorts of hurt. With a broken hand and fingers, it is pretty difficult to operate a weapon to deal with the next enemy. With the heel of the palm you may still hurt yourself if you hit a hard surface, but not to the same extent as with a fist.

    In any case, we need to be able to strike with both open and closed hands and learning the basics slowly and accurately like you suggest is spot on.

    Regards,

    Andy

    #60619

    Re: First Class

    Andy… What branch of service were/are you in? Supposedly they’re revamping the Army combatives program, but it used to be straight up BJJ.

    J-

    #60622
    giant-killer
    Member

    Re: First Class

    I agree, slowing things down a bit and really paying attention to all of the little details can help a lot. It all takes time. The other day I was taking a class with Amir and he said he has been doing this for 20 years and he still finds ways to improve his straight punches. So don’t worry, just keep practicing.

    _________________
    Giantkiller

    #60651
    boucheed
    Member

    Re: First Class

    Neither that i know of… The instructor used to do level training last year, now he has swithched to giving his students all aspects of training for each level within a year. For example last night I learned defense against a gun and knife attack and it was my second class.

    #60652
    boucheed
    Member

    Re: First Class

    Thanks, I have the book and one of the guys in class said he reviews what ever we do in class that night when he goes home. That was helpful. Where did you find a free standing bag?

    #60653
    boucheed
    Member

    Re: First Class

    Good point do you use hand wraps? I am in Las Vegas, since it can be a very dangerous city the philosophy in class is you wont have them on in the street so why train with them.

    #60654
    mara-jade
    Member

    Re: First Class

    quote boucheed:

    Good point do you use hand wraps? I am in Las Vegas, since it can be a very dangerous city the philosophy in class is you wont have them on in the street so why train with them.

    Until you develop the proper techniques in punching, no sense in bruising the heck out of your hands to start. A friend who took John’s seminar emailed me pics of her hands afterwards. She hadn’t been taking classes too long and YIKES.:OhMy:

    True, there’s the protection you use in class (wraps, cups, etc)you won’t have in the street if it really happens but in training(especially with newbies), I”m more than happy to use themthumbsup

    #60665

    Re: First Class

    quote boucheed:

    Good point do you use hand wraps? I am in Las Vegas, since it can be a very dangerous city the philosophy in class is you wont have them on in the street so why train with them.

    Let me throw more of a military perspective on this one. When you go to the range or do a live fire, you take many more safety percautions than you do in an actual fire fight. I fully embrace the “train as you fight” mentality, but steps still need to be taken to ensure that, while training is realistic, it allows everyone to get to the battlefield to use the skills they have learned. The same goes with Krav. If your wrist is jammed or your knucles are busted up, you’re not going to be able to fight on the the streets when you need to. If you bust up your knuckles on someones face, on the other hand, they’re going to be hurting worse than you.

    #60670

    Re: First Class

    I agree with the others when it comes to hand wraps. In real life no you won’t have them but hopefully you won’t ever have to and if you do it won’t be as often as you train so why bust up your hands and wrists and not be able to get more training in?

    Besides we use grappling gloves during our training and we won’t have them on the street so no difference there.

    I have been using hand wraps ever since I put on grappling gloves. My knuckles got busted up big time just from the seams on the gloves if I didn’t wrap my hands so I learned quickly.

    #60684
    giant-killer
    Member

    Re: First Class

    I usually use gloves or wraps when punching, but punching without once in a while can be beneficial, too, so you can condition your knuckles a bit. Just don’t take it too far, once it starts hurting too much, put on the gloves.

    _________________
    Giantkiller

    #60692
    vwr32
    Member

    Re: First Class

    quote boucheed:

    the philosophy in class is you wont have them on in the street so why train with them.

    You wont have mouth guards, cups, or willing participants who stop short of actually inflicting damage on the street as well. The point with training is to learn the movements in as safe a situation as possible, and I really don’t see the benefit to “toughening up” one’s skin so as to be able to withstand an hour of beating pads or heavy bag work.

    In addition to wearing your own skin raw and possibly bleeding, you’re exposing yourself to everyone else’s fluids who has also done the same thing to that pad since it was last properly cleaned. I know someone who ended up with a molar broken in half because of an elbow which missed the pad and he wasn’t wearing a mouth guard. Wishing you had been training as safely as possible does little to reverse the damage done.

    If any of these classroom philosophers climbed into a ring, it would be a requirement they wear ALL mandatory safety equipment. If they get into a fight outside the ring, i’d be willing to bet it would be over long before “soft skin” caused them to lose a fight. Wear the wraps if you want, this amounts to peer pressure in the ‘tough guys’ club which does nothing to improve technique.

    Just my .02

    #60719
    boucheed
    Member

    Re: First Class

    good point DFL

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