Come to Chicago, watch me get hit

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:00 pm

If any of you are looking for an excuse to visit Chicago in the near future, I have another kickboxing fight coming up on February 5th. What better reason do you need than watching someone hit (and possibly kick) me in the face?

Heavy_D · Post by **Heavy_D** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:31 pm

I'm afraid I'll have to pass on that very seducing proposal. I leave for a skiing trip the next morning so I'll have to do with a handycam vid that someone will hopefully post on YouTube.

Good luck Big J!

Daki · Post by **Daki** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:28 pm

Ah, the benefits of living in the city. By the way Jim, any details on where to get tickets?

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:18 pm

I know you can get tickets through the location's website: http://www.roadhouseelgin.com/. I'm not sure if tickets will be available through the promotion of Bert yet, I'll let you know.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:27 pm

Has anyone made the Roadhouse jokes yet?

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:12 pm

Yes, but please don't let that stop you. You think it's a coincidence they named it that?

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:40 pm

I hadn't even considered that. Wow, that's pretty awesome.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:24 pm

I won't be there, but if anyone is willing to take a digitical recording of me yelling: "kick'is'ass seabass!", I'll be there in spirit.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:25 pm

Just a quick reminder this is happening this Friday, February 5th. Come out and watch me get hit!

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 4:38 pm

Somebody better take some quality video of this epic battle.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:22 pm

Don't look at me, I'll be a little busy.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 6:42 am

Big Jim wrote:Don't look at me, I'll be a little busy.

Panty-waist. Just strap the camera to your ego. It's big enough to handle the extra weight.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:44 am

Perhaps you can mount the camera on your headgear and do what Pride FC did with their refcams.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:38 pm

One last bump for tomorrow, and since I now have an opponent, a bit more detail:

What: Kickboxing, including low kicks. 3 2-minute rounds.
When: Friday February 5th, first fight is at 8:00. I have no idea when I'm fighting.
Where: Roadhouse 200 Prairie St. Elgin, Illinois
Why: To fulfill your long-standing fantasy of watching me get punched in the face. Repeatedly. It might happen this time!
How much: General Admission tickets are $20, no idea if more expensive at the door.
Getting tickets: Stick with getting them at the door.

How to get there: Take I-90 to IL-31 S. Turn left at Chicago St, then right at Riverside Dr. Turn right on Prairie St and it will be on the left very shortly.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:10 pm

What's the scoop on your opponent?

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:53 pm

I know very little about my opponent. He's 1-1 having lost his last fight, somewhere around my height, somewhere around my age, and somewhere around 205-210.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:13 am

So you're going to straight beast on him then? Good.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:36 am

Goddamn giants. I can't imagine what it's like to fight someone whose 200+. I mean, I have, but why? I'm 150lbs though, sop fighting you Jim would be a bad experience. Just bad.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:00 am

Jim's weight is not that intimidating, it's the sheer enjoyment on his face as he gets punched in it that unsettles most people.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:57 pm

Paul, that is absolutely the plan. We'll see how the reality of the situation goes, though.

Van Der Litreb · Post by **Van Der Litreb** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:38 pm

Good fightin'!

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:12 pm

Good luck Jim!

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:16 pm

Kick his ass Jim.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:01 am

So it turned out my opponent ended up backing out. Actually all of the fighters from his gym (4 in total) backed out of their fights, leaving a bit of a scramble for the promotion. I ended up fighting a guy who weighed in at 275 - he originally supposed to be 270, but based on the ring announcement he was 275. I won on judges' decision, but this was a hard fight. Even so, I managed to break his nose.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:51 pm

Excellent. How do you feel? Everything in order?

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:11 pm

Everything is still in working order, thankfully. My legs are a bit sore. He had a sweep/kick from his rear leg to my rear leg, which is something I hadn't worked on before so he hit me pretty solidly with it a couple of time before I figured out how to deal with it.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:18 pm

Yeah it's a learning process. Every time I get down I learn something new, or something that I'd previously missed.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:21 am

And if you're interested in watching a very big man kick me in the legs repeatedly, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwGm19Owjlk

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:20 am

Finally you find someone that's willing to accept lowkicks and he's got legs like treetrunks! Seems like you had an awesome match, he put up a good fight while still being underclassed due to your reach and speed. His leg sweeps were cool, though. I wonder what would've happened if he had set those first few sweeps as low kicks placed right above the knee. It might have been a little bit more difficult.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:29 pm

Yeah, if he'd been delivering those kicks to your knee, or even just the thigh, you'd have lost a great deal of mobility. You should really go work your kicks too Jim, your form on the snap-kicks* looks atrocious, no offense. I think it would help you to be able to lay into someone's thigh and sap their energy and mobility. Adding more tools to your repoirtoire is never a bad thing.

Good Going though man.
*Angel kicks, whatever they call'em.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:18 pm

Not sure which kicks you're referring to. The front kicks (push kicks, whatever) to the body, or the roundhouse kicks to his legs? Either way, they need work, I'm well aware.

One of the more interesting aspects of fighting in the ring versus training/sparring is the breakdown of technique due to adrenaline and fatigue. I’m so much sloppier in the ring compared to even an intense sparring session.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:38 pm

Yeah any fight you live through you did right. No plan survives enemy contact, right?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:42 am

When I first started playing fighting games on friends' consoles, I wasn't very good, because I didn't have a console to practice on, plus I just kind of suck at video games. So I'd end up playing until I found this one cheesy trick that I could do over and over and over until I knocked the other guy out...which worked fine until they figured out how to get past my one cheesy trick, and then I didn't have anything else. This fight reminded me of that, can't imagine why.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:55 pm

3278 wrote:When I first started playing fighting games on friends' consoles, I wasn't very good, because I didn't have a console to practice on, plus I just kind of suck at video games. So I'd end up playing until I found this one cheesy trick that I could do over and over and over until I knocked the other guy out...which worked fine until they figured out how to get past my one cheesy trick, and then I didn't have anything else. This fight reminded me of that, can't imagine why.

Wouldn't it have been simpler to just get the dinosaur out of the wheel that was generating electricity for your Stone Age Colecovision? That way, they wouldn't have to worry about your one cheap trick, old man.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:47 pm

Big Jim wrote:Not sure which kicks you're referring to. The front kicks (push kicks, whatever) to the body, or the roundhouse kicks to his legs? Either way, they need work, I'm well aware.

The Roundhouses. I've got a very informal introduction to Mauy Thai, from my buddy who learned it as his Krav Maga class, but we've done a fair bit of sparring. Those kicks become fucking phenomonal. The "traditional" idea of shin kicking a wooden post or tree isn't too far off, if you slow your kicks down. The ultimate goal is that every time you raise your knee for a kick, your opponent won't know whether to defend his lower leg, thigh, hips or head. And once you get an opening, blast it, continuously. It's hard to punch when your whole leading leg is one big angry bruise.

One of the more interesting aspects of fighting in the ring versus training/sparring is the breakdown of technique due to adrenaline and fatigue. I’m so much sloppier in the ring compared to even an intense sparring session.

Undoubtedly. That's why training should always seek to replicate the fight as closely as possible. What's your cardio like? For example, back when I trained with any degree of "seriousness"(not much), I would run fast for 3 minutes, then slow down for 1 minute, then fast, then slow.

Of course, it never works, and you always end up with gloves that way 30lbs by the end of the fight.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:52 pm

I ended up taking another fight on short notice, which just took place on the 5th. Full contact rules, so everything had to be above the waist (not my choice!) There's video up already, from two different angles:

From the balcony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW9rTHLLYvk

From the stands nearly opposite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYRugigp9BI

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:57 am

Nicely done Jim. Nicely done.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:53 pm

Thank you, I definitely felt more comfortable in the ring this time. Always room for improvement, though.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:58 pm

I think you need to do more of those fights where you get to use lower kicks though. High kicks are, well, worthless. And..uh...you look goofy kicking, Jimmy. No offense, I mean, I look goofy just breathing...

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:17 pm

Goofy?

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:26 pm

Goofy, a synonym for silly. I'm saying that when you do those high kicks, you look awfully comical. I wouldn't say that i nthe ring...hell, maybe I would. I'm dumb enough to put the gloves on and go toe-to-toe with someone who is 100lbs bigger than me, so why not call you silly?

Daki · Post by **Daki** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:33 pm

Depends on the delivery of the upper-body kicks. If you are taking a long sweeping wind-up to your kicks, that won't get you far.

Now, if you are throwing Thai-style cutter roundhouse kicks...

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:56 pm

Daki wrote:Depends on the delivery of the upper-body kicks. If you are taking a long sweeping wind-up to your kicks, that won't get you far.

Now, if you are throwing Thai-style cutter roundhouse kicks...

Yah. I just generally prefer to keep my kicks working on the knee, mid-thigh and kidney/liver.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:15 pm

Bonefish wrote:High kicks are, well, worthless.

The entire world of Muay Thai would like to disagree with you strongly, and offer free lessons in pain on how wrong you are.

Silly flying/spinning jump kicks? Yeah, epic fail. Somebody who can pull of rapid delivery roundhouses or front kicks with the necessary flexibility? Yeah, there's some folks I've regrettably sparred that could quite literally box with their feet.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:31 pm

Jeff Hauze wrote:
Bonefish wrote:High kicks are, well, worthless.
The entire world of Muay Thai would like to disagree with you strongly, and offer free lessons in pain on how wrong you are.

And I take those lessons sometimes

. But it's also fun to watch a high-kicker get in the ring with a brawler/swarmer who wrestles. The high-kicker goes to hammer the guy, and the next thing you know is that the swarmer has just rushed him, performed a single leg take down, and the kicker is trying to figure out how to work on his back.

I'm sure that High kicks have their worth, and if you're good at them, I'm sure you can do great things. But in my environment, they tend to end with me on my ass. OR with a dislocated knee.

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:46 pm

Silly? Comical? Ouch.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:08 am

You never watch Punch and Judy?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:17 am

Yeah, you looked fucking stupid while you were beating the crap out of that dude.

I think your image is safe.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:30 am

Big Jim wrote:Silly? Comical? Ouch.

I think Bone was trying to tell you the same thing that I was the other day, only...well, perhaps not as eloquently.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:59 am

Oh god...I just realized...Bone's a UFC fan. Dude, the fact that you were a Johny Reb, I could forgive that. The fact that you work for Brown...I worked around it. But a UFC fan? Man...that's like sixteen million times gayer than me.