Use these 4 tips to improve your matches!

It's not about being big.

The old phrase "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" can be true in martial arts. Sports like jiujitsu are often built around the premise that your opponent's weight and momentum can quickly be turned on them. That's why it's not always about being the bigger or stronger one, but the one who can utilize leverage and martial arts principles.

Understand that winning a sparring match isn't about being big or small, it's about having the stronger presence of mind. Your beliefs and skills will be more important than your body weight; the more advanced your skills, the more you'll be able to maximize your own.

Enhance your strikes.

Putting the force of your body weight behind your strikes will add more power to your moves, catching your sparring opponent off-guard and letting them know you're not to be trifled with. An amateur will punch with his hand - a professional will punch from his shoulder. You will seem to gain strength and power out of nowhere if you can properly leverage your body weight.

Take advantage of your opponent's weight.

Taking advantage of your knowledge of body weight means you should be able to use that knowledge on your opponent. For example, you can grab their hand, but it's more powerful to grab the area that controls more weight - the wrist. The more control you have over your opponent's weight, the less power they'll be able to muster to fight back. It's important to understand how to use your own weight so that you know how to keep an opponent off balance.

Staying grounded.

When defending, it's important that you don't lose your cool and forget to keep balanced and grounded. It's much harder to attack someone who has strong footing than someone who is distracted and off their guard. Try to stay balanced as much as possible - oftentimes the person with the best balance wins the sparring match.

Photo Credits: parhessiastes

Originally posted 2009-08-19 03:09:31.

Bullying.

What starts a fight in the first place? If you're of a certain age, then alcohol can be one of the leading contributors - two men fighting over a girl, for example, is a frequent theme around the world's bars and pubs. Understanding that alcohol can lead to these situations will hopefully encourage you to drink moderately, even when out with friends; losing control is exactly what the martial arts ask you not to do.

When you feel a fight coming on - and it's usually detectable simply by feeling the tension in the room, or observing the startled, frozen reactions of "bystanders" who are simply witness to it - it's time to be the calming presence. It's tempting to use your confidence gained through your mastery of martial arts in order to assert yourself over two people who are about to fight, but this can often just add fuel to the fire. There's already too much testosterone in the air, and the wise martial artist knows that more testosterone is not the answer.

So what do you do? You stay calm and try to shake the attention of the two fighters away from each other. If you have other people around, you enlist their help to separate the two fighters away before they can start hitting. It's important to stay calm and relaxed so that you don't add any more tension to a rope that's about to be cut - figuratively speaking, of course.

As mentioned already, prevention is the best way to avoid fighting anyone. Fights are generally a bad idea, as you never know when a stranger has friends waiting in the corner, or a weapon located on their person. Avoid them at all costs, and do it through a clear presence of mind, using other people to your advantage, and not adding any fuel to the fire. This should help you in the future.

Photo Credits: Chesi - Fotos CC

Originally posted 2009-12-08 03:47:23.

Go for the neck.

GROIN

The groin makes for a good break up tactic. It won’t permanently take out your opponent, but it will distract them.

KNEE

The knee is a very good place to strike because this can leave your opponent immobile and make it easier for you to either, run away or break away from the attack.  Attacking the knee is also great prior to a takedown or as a break up before you commit to another attack.

THROAT

The throat is a very good target or primary striking area because it will work as a breakup tactic and it is great as a strategy for removing the threat of further attacks. This can be done by a controlling the opponents breathing, choking them out by constricting the carotid arteries or in the worse case - striking hard at the windpipe and forcing the opponent to deal with a more serious threat than attacking you. Never strike to the throat unless your life is at risk!

EYES

And finally we have the eyes. The eyes make a great primary striking area because they are vulnerable soft tissue areas with a variety of ways to attack. The eyes are extremely sensitive regardless of your opponents size and training  - which makes them the number one target in a street fight.

There are few ways to go about attacking the eyes. One simple strategy is to simply strike at the eyes with the tips of your fingers. This will cause the eyes to water and sting which makes it hard for your opponent to see. Strikes to the eyes will also break your attacker’s concentration, allowing you some time to either escape or prepare for another attack. Another way to attack the eyes is to use dirt or other small objects that can be thrown or sprayed directly into the eyes.

This is why pepper spray is so popular as a self-defense tool. You can also use keys, clothing, shoes and other items to throw into the eyes again either as a breakup or an attempt to scratch the retina making it hard for the opponent either see you or continue with their attack.

The reason this becomes the most practical strategy is because if the person cannot see you, it’s going to be very hard for them to attack you.

Photo Credits: dangoodwin

Originally posted 2010-04-04 03:55:54.

No escape.

Find an escape route. Maybe you don't like to think of yourself as the type of person to run, but having an escape route can be necessary to your survival. Especially if you're not in a fair fight to begin with. Survey your surroundings so you know where to make a quick getaway if necessary, especially in potential trouble areas like rowdy bars and alleys. You'll also want to get out of sight as fast as possible, not simply escape, so be sure you know how to do that, as well.

Read peoples' body language. You should be able to read body language to the point where you can start to intuitively feel peoples' inner attitudes and emotions. If you start to perceive a threat from someone else, or know if someone is watching you, it will help you trigger your inner "alert" and let you know that you might need to get ready for a combat situation. Reading body language will also help you better understanding logistics, such as by seeing where your enemy looks - he might tip you off to the presence of a few of his allies.

Know your blind spots. When you're driving on the highway, you know where your blind spot is. But if you enter a new area, you don't really know, so you'll want to check. It's good to know the situation, but if you have a few blind spots, that means you face the unknown. As a general rule, it's usually a good idea to try and have as few blind spots as possible. If you do have them, be aware of where they are so that you can check them in a hurry if need be.

Reading a combat situation means that you should be shrewd. Know when the odds are stacked against you, read the logistics, and keep your emotions out of play. The better you understand the situation, the better chance of survival you'll have.

Photo Credits: SarahCartwright

Originally posted 2010-01-12 03:13:27.

Learning self-defense.

First, you should be sure to carry yourself confidently. Don't look down at the ground - be sure to hold your head up high and keep your posture straight. This doesn't mean you have to be rigid, but it does mean you'll want to avoid looking sad or lonely. Criminals will often target individuals who look down at the ground often. These people are less alert and more vulnerable to attack. Don't let yourself look vulnerable, even if you are.

Posture is very important to how you're perceived. Recall that kings in Europe would often stand up straight and barely even move their head in order to look at someone. This higher-value posture indicated that they were less reactive to others, and therefore of a higher status. You should be able to give off the vibe of someone who is capable of self-defense by the tone of your voice (clear and strong) as well as your posture. Do you look like the type of person who would crumble if attacked, or do you look like you'd fight back? If you look like the type of person to fight back, you lower your chance of being attacked.

This doesn't mean that you should always walk around being tense. You can be relaxed, but be sure to assert yourself confidently in social situations and to walk like someone who knows how to handle himself.

Keeping your posture straight will also maximize the appearance of your physical stature. Dog trainers sometimes recommend holding sticks against attacking dogs because it becomes an extension of your body, making you appear larger. Use this with your own posture - stand up straight and don't be afraid to take up plenty of space.

Self-correcting your posture to the point it becomes a habit will also help you to remain mindful of your situation and be on the look-out for potential attacks. The better you're able to prevent attack, the less you'll have to worry.

Photo Credits: snappybex

Originally posted 2009-08-14 03:11:52.