Meeting the "Top Dog" Tonight!

Eric "Top Dog" Knaus arrived last night for our Full-Contact Stick Fighting Seminar tomorrow.

I'll meet him tonight ... in more than one way .... in other words, we are getting together with Eric tonight to do some fighting. After watching him fight (on tape), hearing stories about him from my teacher and talking with him by phone & writing him via e-mail for the last several months, I'm looking forward to meeting him in person and to crossing sticks with him (more the former than the latter
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). So, if anyone notices some monster lumps and bruises on me tomorrow, you'll know where they came from.

My strategy for fighting Eric is simple: close fast and come in swinging. I'd like to get a couple of good shots in before I get a rattan lobotomy
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Dave Fulton





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Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


 
S

Smoke

Joined
Oct 14, 1998
Messages
2,537
I'd suggest 'sticking' with him when charges in and tries to hit/angle then exit. At least that's what he does in his tapes, not that it will matter.
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Smoke,

Your confidence in me is underwhelming
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Seriously, I have no delusions of being able to "hang" with Eric out there, but I think that my best chance is to close ... get inside his big power strokes, attack with punyos & thrusts and then get the h*ll out. My power strokes are ok, but the punyo/thrust is my strength. I'd rather pit my strength against his weakness than vice versa. Of course, I'll have to deal with his grappling too.

Uh oh ... bad omen! I was sitting here writing the above when some song learics came into focus. The first thing I heard was the line from a U2 song "It's the end of the world as we know it ..."
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I'm a dead man ...

Wish me luck!

Dave.

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 05-19-2000).]
 
Smoke will like this: hide a knife on you for when you do close
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Seriously, IIRC Eric is at least a purple in BJJ. Definitely at least a blue belt.

Details man! Details! Out with it
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"...grappling happens, there's no getting around it. It just does." - Top Dog
 
Dave did fine! I'm sure he'll tell you guys about it. He did experience first hand several of those signature Eric Knaus charges from behind a roof block that just roll right over you like a bull dozer! :-)
We had a lot of fun at the seminar. Dave drew first blood....on me! :-)

Keith

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"Walk softly and carry a big stick!"
Teddy Roosevelt
 
Thanks for the compliment Keith!

I'm actually disappointed in my match with Eric because eventhough I had a game plan, I was unable to execute it. I had hoped to be able to close and get inside his power shots, but everytime I was preparing to move in he'd let loose one of his power shots.

A couple of his power shots came real close to my face so not only could I hear his stick "breaking wind", I could feel it!
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Talk about intimidating. About the only thing I did right was evading his shots, and I almost didn't succeed in that a few times. I went in low once for a leg shot and Eric ripped off a power shot right at my head.
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I kangarood out just in time to keep him from taking my head off, but was off balance and he could have plastered me if he'd pressed an attack at that moment.

As for his flying roof block charges, it's amazing how quickly he moves especially for such a big guy! He is much bigger than I'd thought from seeing him on tape, btw. I thought he was going to knock me through that (2nd story) window with the one charge. When he circles you during a fight, you get the impression of being stalked by a tiger or some other big, jungle cat.

To sum up the match, I was in WAY over my head and knowing that, Eric dialed things down to play closer to my level. If he'd just wanted to give me a beating, I would have been ... dog food!
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Eric was also extremely nice and funny. After the seminar was over, several of us sat around and talked for a couple of hours and he had some funny stories to tell. A real class act!

Sorry about the head wounds Keith. I was SO relieved to see that the cuts weren't severe, because when I saw all that blood on your face it scared the cr*p out of me. I had forgotten that facial cuts bleed like that. Don't forget that chicks dig scars ... unless you're married to them. Then they just shake their heads and mutter about how freakin' crazy you are.
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Nice (western) fencing thrusts to the face on your part by the way.

Hopefully you're still allowed to come out and play.

Sorry for the ramblin' post. Gotta go.

Dave.



[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 05-22-2000).]
 
Hey Dave, That song was by R.E.M. If you can, leave yer teeth at home so at least you know where they are.
 
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