Test Your Skill: Nov. 13 NYC Throwdown

[Ray Pina]

Organizing a Throwdown for Nov. 13 in Mind-town Manhattan, 3 blocks from Penn. Station.

This is not sparring (though you could arrange that with guys who show up) but a test of your fighting ability against other martial artists using light, MMA gloves. There is no ring or cage, wide open space, and we only ask that you respect the tap.

[joedoe]

Just out of curiosity Ray, do you have anyone with medical training attend these meetings? It just seems to me that if you are organising for people to get together and fight as opposed to spar, then it might be worth thinking about.

[Fallout]

Why must you cheapen your kung fu? Kung fu is about respecting others and developing your own internal force.

Getting together just to smash other people is not what kung fu is about. This is abusing your skills. Does your sifu know you are doing this?

[joedoe]

I don't agree. I think that kung fu was developed for fighting and if you want to test your skills then you should do so. I am sure the intent of this throwdown is not to smash people, but to test ideas and improve skills. However I also feel that you should do it safely and responsibly.

[Ray Pina]

Joedoe, it would be nice. But unfortunately no. I bring a towel for myself just in case, and gave one once to another guy who got opened up a bit. But generally, if it gets too bad for you, you tap.

I know there's a hospital just a few blocks away, so for me, if I was in a bad position, I'd eat two or three to see if I can reverse the position and get some pay back. If not, tap, put the towel to my face and go get some stiches .... I'm a working American and have insurance.

[Face2Fist]

and just because youre hung like a moose doesnt mean you have to do porn!!!

[Ray Pina]

True that.

But if you are hung like a moose, single and comfortable with your body .... why not wake up and bang a bunch of hot chicks and get paid for it ... if you're into that type of thing. Which I'm not .... hung like a moose .... or getting paid for it. Strictly amatuer status

[joedoe]

Joedoe, it would be nice. But unfortunately no. I bring a towel for myself just in case, and gave one once to another guy who got opened up a bit. But generally, if it gets too bad for you, you tap.

I know there's a hospital just a few blocks away, so for me, if I was in a bad position, I'd eat two or three to see if I can reverse the position and get some pay back. If not, tap, put the towel to my face and go get some stiches .... I'm a working American and have insurance.

Fair enough. The reason I got to thinking about it was that if you are operating under fight conditions and with limited protective gear, then all it would take is for a good, lucky, solid shot to get through and someone could be in real trouble.

[Ray Pina]

Yup.

And that one good solid shot usually happens within a minute, two minutes tops if you got a dancer.

That's why I say conditioning is not as important as being able to protect yourself. These don't go that long. One mistake .... one greedy move that leaves you open for a second, can be a big mistake.

[Face2Fist]

Yup.

And that one good solid shot usually happens within a minute, two minutes tops if you got a dancer.

That's why I say conditioning is not as important as being able to protect yourself. These don't go that long. One mistake .... one greedy move that leaves you open for a second, can be a big mistake.

ray how many of these guys that you fought in those "throwdowns" are really experienced fighters, i m not referring to years of training, but actual fighting experience, its seems to me that these throwdowns just attract people that have minimal fight experience and they want to try their stuff out and arent really prepared for actual fighting, has any of these guys had actual ring fights? an experienced fighter can dance and play around and still win and they can take punches, remember sparring is training not only your skills, but also training you how to get hit. i think most of these guys that go to these "throwdowns" arent really trained to get hit.

have you ever been hit hard? that you black out or your body shuts down? in these throwsdowns?

[Ray Pina]

I don't know, maybe you are right. Perhaps it is guys with zero fight experience who show up to fight complete strangers, in a foreign environment, with no gear and the only rule being respect the tap. That sounds nuts to me, but it is NYC.

As for getting hit, I don't know about you, but it's not like we line up and offer the other guy our chin. I'm training not to get hit. But I think I know what you're referring to, my "punk" status. I don't know, I haven't been hit solid in a long time, other than by my master who has good control, heavy enough to make ya **** your pants but holding enough not to put you out.

But, about a year before I met my master a 6-foot something, 250lbs S Mantis training partner caught me with an overhand hammer blow that dropped me to a single knee. I was dazzed, offered to keep going, but my teacher sent me to the bench and I wasn't going to argue

I think I can take a hit. Though the things that I think "toughened" me up were non combat related -- mother dying as a kid, taking the noose off my dad's neck when he was coked up and trying to kill himself, seeing a little brother who was used to being tucked in by his mom one day have no mom the next. These things put life and death into perspective ... especially if you have a philosophical mind. But what it really is, is that I'm 31 without a pot to **** in, no wife, no girlfriend even, no car now, nothing. All I got is what my master has taught me and I see its value. And what I get from it will be what I put in. Where it will go for me is where I'll take it. I know that. And when you fight me now, you stand in the way of the only thing I got going for me. I wouldn't want to fight a fighter like that.

[young leopard]

I'm new to the forums, though I have been looking through posts for a month or so.

This may be understood among you guys but could you (Ray) explain to me exactly what the rules are?

You say respect the tap...is that it? You can do joint breaking techniques, eye gouges, neck attacts,etc? There seem to be plenty of techniques that would do major damage before someone could tap.

Also what are the San do (spelling?) rules? I have seen ppl taking about the tourneys.

Ray, I think these throwdowns could be usefull preparation for dealing with a thug on the streets of NYC that wants to harrass, but only if there are no technique limitations. And if there are no technique limitations then it seems too dangerous to me.

I'm from NYC, and favored stomping out somebody's knee when I had to handle myself in a confronation, but we don't allow that with the ppl I spar with for obvious reasons.

thx 4 your time.