Our first sparring day featured three rounds for each matchup - one Kickboxing, one MMA and one Stick Sparring.

Congratulations to all who joined in. Was a great morning of brotherhood and fighting spirit. OSS!

Perth Wednesday 8th July

Convert your ring skills to street self defence

6th Dan Dr Gavriel Schneider presents a dynamic workshop designed to put your MMA training into focus for self defence. Combine striking, grappling, takedowns, joint locks and defend against a variety of street attacks that are common in Australia today.

A discussion I have often heard amongst practitioners of self-defence and Krav Maga systems is whether sparring should be included in the curriculum. There are many valid arguments for both sides and different schools and instructors approach it differently. Here are my two cents.

A topic that has been coming up in conversation and discussion over and over again over the past few weeks has been the differences between combat sports, self-defence and martial arts.

To the average person with no martial arts experience, they are often overlapping, perhaps even interchangeable. Indeed, most martial arts schools advertise all three regardless of the style they teach.

But are they exactly the same? If they are not, do they overlap and to what extent? Or are they totally different, or even mutually exclusive, modes of training?

Previous I discussed two points that relate to being a good training partner in the dojo. You can read about it here. Those two points related to what to do and what you need in order to do it. I also wrote quite a bit about some of the many funny, weird and wonderful faces you will meet at the dojo. You can read about them here.

I’d like to recap the example I used in the previous article, as it conveys a pretty strong message message:

The instructor just finished demonstrating a particular drill, and asks you to find a partner. Everyone in class is quickly paired up while you are still looking around trying to find someone who is on their own, and quickly notice gazes being averted when you try to make eye contact. You eventually manage to corner someone and now have a partner!

Or

The instructor just finished demonstrating a particular drill, and asks you to find a partner. Before you get a chance to look around, 3 people approach you. They are all smiling and when you pair up with the nearest one, the other two smile and say ‘how about next round?’

Which one happens to you more often?

1 week FREE unlimited Martial Arts & Fitness intro

Get fit, learn mad skills, train with great instructors and meet awesome people at CAIA!

From December 1 - 8, we are having an Open Week - and you can book as many classes as you can FOR FREE. Krav Maga, BJJ, Kickboxing, Japanese Jujutsu & Weapons, FMA, MMA, Wrestling, Yoga and more - all with dedicated, internationally accredited instructors.

>> Just click here to jump to our booking system and register online.

>> Click here to contact us for more info.

Class sizes are limited. You snooze, you lose. Don't miss this.

Class Timetable

Martial arts are a form of self-expression, so let's compare them to the one tool for self expression that we all share as human beings - speech.

We don't all speak the same, and every language sounds differently. When we speak a sentence, we put emphasis on particular words. We may speak slowly or quickly, and change our rhythm and pace. We use pauses to give meaning to certain words, and to allow the listener to process what we are saying. We change our pitch, tone and inflection to convey feeling and meaning. Where we stand (close, far, in front, on an angle, etc.) and how we use particular body language has a massive impact on the message we send when we communicate.

To me, sparring is the physical manifestation of the same principles. It is when we stop practising putting words together, and actually converse freely. It's when we improvise. So how do you learn to make great speeches when sparring?

It's happening again!

Perth Saturday 28th April, 5:30PM

Push your limits and contribute to a great cause.

Proceeds from the funds raised through this event will be donated to Diabetes WA.

The Concept: A friendly 100 rounds of sparring - with the proceeds going to a great cause! 

How it works: We are seeking sponsors for each fighter for each of the 100 rounds they are able to fight. It could be a dollar per round, or it could be ten cents per round. Every dollar helps. Each round will be one minute and fighters will change partners every round.

What can I do? It’s easy. To register as a participant please click here, and follow the instructions. Sponsors click here. Or if you are thinking of coming down to watch, make sure and get here early as space is limited!