Hi guys,

After the last discussion re: motivation behind self defence training I got to thinking that I'd love to see some footage of what you guys actually do in training. So with that in mind, if you have any videos of you and your club training, doing drills, sparring, whatever it might be please post here. If nothing else it makes for more meaningful discussion when you know where the other person is coming from.

I don't have any training videos of myself but here are two of my fights to get the ball rolling

My last night, a few months ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGxFE7WsN1s

A fight from a few years back
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8881001449150714049&ei=aFTASJ6hMIn0jALb0cyNCQ&q=tim+murphy+colm+reilly

Actually just found a short clip of me doing light clinch work from a few years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuK5Qswggb0

Not a bad idea, Tim. Steve Morris used to do this on his forum. Some nice videos you have there.

The only stuff I have of me on Youtube are of my two documentary DVDs, which doesn't count as I am promoting other people and shows none of my club's own training. There's my website, but again there is no footage of what my club actually do. Getting footage on Youtube is definitely on the agenda - if I wasn't such a technophobe. Will have to get the step-son onto it, as I need to get stuff out there.

Hey Tim,

Nice idea... Good vids by the way.

Good to see you go revenge on that Mark fella'. Mhahah... Kidding of course.

I've got to say, I have a hell of a lot of respect for anyone getting into a ring and competing like that.

Like Jamie, I've no vids of myself around. Well, I have some stuff of me which is just "dry training", and won't really convey the message. Lee has a clip of me which I think might work. I'll have to get him to send it over.

What also might be a good idea is to find a couple of clips from SP instructors we like. They will be able to show you what we do.

Cheers,

R.

http://www.videojuicer.com/woma/channels/2169/playlists/2173/movies/260.html

Any better! Out of date by two years, we have moved on a lot from this honest!

The principles are still the same, but we do more cross-training/mma now. At the time was just trying to establish myself as a realistic self-defence coach and I wanted to get this firmly down pat before we progressed onto MMA etc. The standards of my students are now higher and we have more refined activities to get the best out of beginners.

This is the way I view my hierarchy of training.

1. Specific training - in terms of an overall view of my classes this means self-defence orientated training - handling verbal aggression, sparring where the emphasis is on one person escaping, pre-emptive strike drills, multiple attackers, weapons etc. (However, specific training inside "attribute training" may be something like guard-passing)

2. Attribute/Cross-Training - stepping off the self-defence line to improve hard skills - boxing, wrestling, bjj, submission grappling, muay thai, mma etc. This is all about researching fighting tactics in order to eventually use this experience to reinforce the limited skills needed for self-defence.

3. Functional Fitness - Mental and physical conditioning with exercises designed specifically to improve your martial arts training - see "Training for Warriors" book and Mo Teague's "Red Flag Day" for obvious examples.

We have a small but growing adult class with two, possibly three, competing in MMA in November.

I haven't seen the "play as the way". I'll check it out.

A key thing we do with a student is to emphasize individualism first and then scepticism as an appraisal. If a new student comes to me I like to set them up with an activity where they can show me what they naturally do under pressure. From that I cultivate their natural skills rather than try to indoctrinate them into a set. If it is a private lesson I actually sit down and get them to do the talking first to hear exactly what they want before I coach a single thing.

From the maestro - Geoff Thompson

Animal Day Training (bad quality unfortunately)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5yS1HYV2fI&feature=related

The Fence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6OJnZG3joA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGLhlakkUk

Another Master: Jim Grover (AKA - Kelly McCann)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NUcQMCLHGc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14d5sK0yl00&feature=related

Lee Morrison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVdQuvZdyyM

That was the only clip I could find of Lee. That was just an instructional piece re the axe hand.

Believe me, he is a complete advocate of full contact and hardcore training. That's one reason why I'm reluctant to converse with MMA guys on the subject. They only ever really see a small piece of the puzzle, and never investigate further. So I feel it's often a pointless exercise. You'll notice I rarely discuss the subject on boards these days.

But to be fair, I'm always unimpressed with the MMA approach. I admire the skills and dedication and grit. But seeing people rolling around the floor doe's noting for me and I think it's a poor approach for the street to use.

It will give someone the attributes, but not the strategy or tactics.