Mouth Protection

R

Ray Langley

Joined
Oct 14, 2000
Messages
56
In the near future I'm planning on practicing some power strikes/blocks with a training partner. We will be using fairly heavy hardwood sticks/canes.

I have worn dentures for more than 35 years. I was wondering if there was any special form of mouth protection for those in my situation?

Sticks are hard, dentures are hard, but gums and the insides of mouths are soft. I would like to practice hard but safely.

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http://pub48.ezboard.com/bcaneknifestick
 
I'd suggest some good headgear if you're using a good hardwood stick. If a good blow lands your teeth are probably the least of your concerns.

Barring substantial headgear, you may want to get some rattan canes made and/or agree to lighter sparring. Regardless of whether you go with substantial headgear, or something like a fencing mask and either rattan or hardwood sticks, it's always a good idea to supplement your sparing with power training which can be done on several different types of "tire dummies".

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



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Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

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

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 02-26-2001).]
 
I would agree with Dave, Ray. If your swinging hard enough at each other to worry about your teeth, you should worry about getting a mask. What kind of drills are you guys working?

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Chad
Full Contact Stickfighting Hawaii
www.fullcontacthi.com
 
Thanks gents. Headgear is a great idea!

To Chad: My training partner and I plan to begin some of the drills from Hock Hockheim's Vol. 1 of the Dos Manos CQC Stick Combat video, using hickory canes. We start tomorrow night (2-28-01). We plan to start out slowly like a couple of grey haired old farts, which we are. :-) So far, we have only been swinging in the air...

In the beginning, our drills will be slow and smooth and controlled. But, over a period of time, we intend to increase the intensity to the physical limits of our abilities. A couple of our goals are to be able to repel full power hits from baseball bats/pool cues, and break coconuts in the near future.

Eventually some level of sparring will be involved since both of us are interested in learning serious street self-defense.

To Dave: In the next month or so, the weather will warm up enough outside that we can train with the tires and simple wooden dummies. We have a few ideas in mind.



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http://pub48.ezboard.com/bcaneknifestick
 
Ray,

IMO (FWIW), the chances of stopping a full power swing from a baseball bat with a cane (even hickory or kamagong) fall somewhere between slim and none.

The best thing to do with something with that much mass and velocity is to let it pass and close the gap in it's wake. Yes that requires being able to take a couple of quick steps, but the alternatives are:

1) Closing ahead of the swing (ie before it hits you) and in essence cutting it off. This also takes quick feet and has a very small margin for error.

2) Trying to "block" or stop the strike ... again, the odds are not in your favor.

There's another possibility that I haven't tried (not sure I want to either ... just in case
wink.gif
) and that's the Cuatro Cantos aka Four Walls. It's a deflection rather than a block. There might be something about it on Hock's tapes or you can let me know and I'll try to explain it as best as I can.

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

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