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Old 10-03-2011, 03:05 PM   #14
Budd
 
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Dojo: Taikyoku Budo & Kiko - NY, PA, MD
Location: Greater Philadelphia Area
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Re: Internal Strength in sparring

So in the interest in having a real discussion around this topic. Prior to getting obsessed with internal strength, in addition to being a senior member of the aikikai of an independent dojo - I'd also go crosstrain (more like drop in to roll and spar) with some folks at the local BJJ school, Steve Blackman's MMA club (before it was an official MMA club), then some other guys that boxed at the gym I belonged to. I also grew up in various grappling sports and have enough additional time in various pugilistic/striking activities to know it's not my best fit, but it's good to practice every so often from the standpoint of being well-rounded (and learning to get over taking a hard hit by a skilled person trying to hurt you).

Having gotten hands on with some of the internal exponents often mentioned in these discussions - it didn't take me very long to see that it was "different" than your typical athletic strength (I used to get hands on guys from Edinboro University's wrestling team, including a NCAA champion, as well as olympic coaches, so I have an idea of what it's like to be overwhelmed and humbled *that* way). And the immediate flashing red neon sign in my brain was, "WANT!!"

The best way to describe it in layperson's terms is that you get the ability to mannage better what's happening inside you, how you're sourcing power and how you connect to another person physically - that it feels like someone has a control over your balance on contact (think a touch rather than a technique) - and depending on how/what they've trained to exploit it (and how much they've conditioned their body physically and how skilled they are at feeling your balance), it can be everything from a neat "ki" trick, to a way that they hit you with no windup (or hardly visible movement) that feels like a truck ran into you and you're like "WTF??". Much different from a boxer catching you flatfooted with a jab, hook combo or a Muay Thai shin kick that nearly breaks your leg.

In boxing or MT, I can "see" how those would work. But, if I watch, say, Chen Xao Wang, do a fajin release, I kind of say, "Hmm looks strong and whippy". Then the guy that hit me harder than anyone else ever has (again, with no visible windup, we were in contact, then "POW", I didn't see it coming) tells me how this CXW guy makes a concrete building shake when he stomps his foot. I have to say, it continues my interest in wanting to feel what people are doing. Apply that kind of shaking/release power to grappling, I no longer want this guy to get hands on anything near me - especially not my head/neck/limbs . . which means I'd better shoot him. Safely, from a distance. Or better yet, get someone else to do it. That's a solid defense, manipulate someone else into offense.

So after spending some time (a few years) doing some conditioning, skill-building - I don't grapple the same way. Not all to the obvious good. It's harder for me to get submissions because I find I used to muscle them more than I realized - to isolate a limb and control it. Since I'm trying to change how all of me's moving, I don't extend local muscle the same way to the hands. But when I do get, say, an armbar, it's much sneakier. My choke game, which wasn't ever great (short limbs, not an asset) has more life than it ever did. I'm a lot harder to take down than before (or throw - and some folks that have met me here should be able to vouch that I wasn't easy to take down before I cared about IS). When you try to submit me, it's harder to trap me as I can typically feel the setups much better than before and more easily slip into a counter (and keep in mind, I only sporadically spar in grappling these days - it's not upping my jits that's making me more of a handful).

In striking practice, I'm not the best guy at boxing/kickboxing/point karate ranges (short limbs, again, not an asset). But I'm actually okay at fighting at longer distances, closing in, forcing a clinch and fighting from there (think going from sword distance to clinch). Cutting off space with tai sabaki is it's own practice. And my dirty boxing has much improved - I can feel you moving much sooner, as I more easily plug into your balance. I can hit you harder with less movement than I could before. I can feel you favoring balance on a specific leg, for instance, so tactically if I wobble you in the direction I want to unbalance you, as you recover, BLAM!! A tactical application that takes advantage of the physical skill I'm training.

So, these are things I've found in basic application of my IS pursuits, over the last year or so of visiting MMA/BJJ joints, trying things out, not worrying about being tougher than the next guy. Do I get tagged or tapped? Hell, yes . . nothing makes you invincible. But I also can tell, when I step back on the mat after a short break - that ring rust should also be more of a factor than it has been spending dedicated periods in IS practice.

Does IS automatically make you a better fighter? I'd argue inasmuch other types of conditioning (edurance, weights) do - for a good while at least - which is why you need a delivery system for making the most of the type of skill/conditioning you're building. Over a lifetime, tho, I'd love to see some stats on the type of training that continues to build strength, versus the rate of power degradation. Would make for a good study, methinks.

Having proven, to myself at least, that there's value in application from the benefits training in IS provides, I'm back on the perch of focusing on the IS skill building/conditioning and trying to express it through the (not really, but sorta) narrow lens of my aikido. Trying to set up more partners to practice with, though - been too long playing on my own.
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