That last line hit me hard, i've been training off and on all my life, i am quite talentless (or perhaps badly suited to western training methods?) and i've always been among the worst least skilled students in the room, but i've always been a good student: i was there to play and learn, not really to win. (which was good, because i didn't do so often!)
It doesn't matter how talented you are, it turns out you can always improve. Now i'm a somewhat profficient striker and a decent defensive grappler. But it is only now, after something like 15 years of martial arts that i really understand that all that matters is percieving what your partner is doing and acting accordingly.
The points you made about perception in LMA talk #2 were bang on. This is why MT is so beautiful to watch, because they more often pick each other apart mostly with single shots chosen perfectly, while western kickboxers tend to confuse their opponents with longer combinations designed to overwhelm. Not to say one is better than the other, but basic wisdom in the west is doing things more aggressively and more of it is better, when if done with perception and timing.
I spent far too long in my adult life focused on technique, rather than learning proficiency, even though all my life i've been able to outwrestle people due to my childhood rolling around with people on the floor in judo with no BJJ whatsoever, and i've managed to hold onto that body knowledge all my life. My striking however i have had to work at painstakingly technique which i've found to be very difficult. I'm now regretting having spread this inverted process to other people who have come into our red gym.
Anyway the point is i'm ready to hear what you are saying thanks for all this. I hope you don't mind me leaving these long comments every now and then as i make my way through your stuff and others find them useful, i would love to hear about other people's journeys around this stuff.
That last line hit me hard, i've been training off and on all my life, i am quite talentless (or perhaps badly suited to western training methods?) and i've always been among the worst least skilled students in the room, but i've always been a good student: i was there to play and learn, not really to win. (which was good, because i didn't do so often!)
It doesn't matter how talented you are, it turns out you can always improve. Now i'm a somewhat profficient striker and a decent defensive grappler. But it is only now, after something like 15 years of martial arts that i really understand that all that matters is percieving what your partner is doing and acting accordingly.
The points you made about perception in LMA talk #2 were bang on. This is why MT is so beautiful to watch, because they more often pick each other apart mostly with single shots chosen perfectly, while western kickboxers tend to confuse their opponents with longer combinations designed to overwhelm. Not to say one is better than the other, but basic wisdom in the west is doing things more aggressively and more of it is better, when if done with perception and timing.
I spent far too long in my adult life focused on technique, rather than learning proficiency, even though all my life i've been able to outwrestle people due to my childhood rolling around with people on the floor in judo with no BJJ whatsoever, and i've managed to hold onto that body knowledge all my life. My striking however i have had to work at painstakingly technique which i've found to be very difficult. I'm now regretting having spread this inverted process to other people who have come into our red gym.
Anyway the point is i'm ready to hear what you are saying thanks for all this. I hope you don't mind me leaving these long comments every now and then as i make my way through your stuff and others find them useful, i would love to hear about other people's journeys around this stuff.