Quote:
Originally Posted by Homeslice
If so, then so would all the varieties of kung fu and karate........They all came from the same origins.
Doing "forms" isn't really for show, it's for practicing strong blocks and strikes so that they become second-nature. As far as acquiring actual fighting "wits", that is what sparring sessions & tournaments are for. Someone who doesn't participate in those is obviously going to come up short.
|
Showmanship is not exactly the word I would use, although you will see karate, kung-fu, or TKD demonstrations that have more to do with gymnastics than actual fighting.
I say this as a loyal shotokan karateka: all other things being equal, a ground-trained fighter will win. Karate, kung-fu, and TKD all have some devastating techniques, absolutely. But I think you really only have to watch some of the early UFC matches, back when they really did include all styles and disciplines.
Everyone lost to ground fighters. And it makes sense; for instance, there are very few people in the world who can punch someone into unconsciousness more easily than they can choke someone into unconsciousness.
Now if you start pitting grand masters and 10th dans against only moderately trained grapplers, then yeah, you'll probably see an advantage for the stand-up fighters. But I've never seen jiu jutsu matches for points. They train full speed, full power because they can. Most competitions won't do that with the strike/kick style martial arts, because a full power kick to the head could cause real permanent damage. So, like Tmall pointed out, you have people practicing over and over to score points, and that becomes your muscle memory.
By no means do I think that makes stand-up martial arts worthless. And you're definitely better off on your feet if you're fighting more than one person, as is often the case in a schoolyard.