How the heck did that happen?

[james luke]

I would never advocate the level of contact for a child to be the same as for an adult but it is absolutely vital for us to become accustomed to heavy contact as adults.I remember the first time I was punched in the face during a sparring session and it was not the pain that stopped me it was just the shock and the sight of blood. The ability to absorb a punch and keep functioning is a prerequisite for effective combat. I appreciate we all have to go to work the next day but a few bruised forearms is a small price to pay imo.
Back in the day we would decamp to the pub after training and count our bruises, and yes, it was a perverse kind of badge of honour. However most of the lads I trained with back then were miners or worked in physical jobs, brickies etc. All they wanted to do was hit each other! We were never under any illusion that what we were practising was a fighting art primarily and not some effete eastern philosophy. I never owned a pair of hand mitts until well into the nineties so with the latest in body protection we should all be getting padded up and stuck in!

[Lyndon_Davies]

We were never under any illusion that what we were practising was a fighting art primarily and not some effete eastern philosophy.

And that sums it up completely for me!

[fujicolt]

there is a very thin line between courage and stupidity - I think the quote goes something like this -

'Supposed Heroism is oft based on poor information whilst Supposed Cowardice is oft based on very good information!'

[james luke]

In the immortal words of judge Pickles " You will never stop healthy young men from fighting ". Yip-Yip.

[fujicolt]

YIP YIP - DID HE TEACH TAI CHI CHUAN - or was it his brother yip man ? (and i suspect that the PC brigade will tell me that post was 'inappropriate'

[kensei]

YIP YIP - DID HE TEACH TAI CHI CHUAN - or was it his brother yip man ? (and i suspect that the PC brigade will tell me that post was 'inappropriate'

I didnt think so, kind of cute actually.

I have to say, as we speak I sent the wife to the hospital (nothing major) but she has had a sore neck for three days, sore like clocks THAT HURTS sore. But I have to admit I have not been to the hospital for less than a body part that was broken/sliced/hanging off by a small peice of skin or some very nasty thing like that. Hell I can not count the number of broken toes/fingers/nose or other small bones that I had set by Sensei and just ignored for a while till the throbbing ended.

I think the "holy clocks how did that happen" moment has happened to many of us who have been trained to ignore the pain of training. my Sempai had two teeth knocked out and he just kept on going in a kumite match, I had to pick them up for him after he spat them out. I have had to continue training and sparring after being KO'd and also many many times after broken toes, fingers or a smashed up nose!

Not that this is the right way to do things, but it was the way to go back then!

[Tom O'Brien]

OK, here is a good war story. We were doing a drill we call 'circle jerk'. We make a circle around one person who stands in the middle. Everyone attacks the person in the middle one at a time. Each attacker is touched off by the trigger who runs around the outside of the circle tapping people to go in. I was the 'jerk' in the middle. I was also running the class. I got kicked with jodan yoko geri in the mouth. We had no mouth gaurds back then. Several of my teeth went through just bellow my bottom lip. Everyone stopped. There I was screaming at the class to resume the drill. I made a 'butterfly stitch' out of a bandaid, stuck it on & contiued. Still have that scar. A little bit of insanity.

Thanks,
Tom

[fujicolt]

Here's another -

Was teaching a class doing Kihon Ippon Kumite and they were NOT showing control on the counters. So i stopped the class and called the strongest and most experienced student out and said to the class 'You must use control even on full power - now watch!'

I called out the senior and strongest student (his control was usually immaculate!)

I told him to step back and make Gedan barrai and then attack full power Jodan OI-tsuki: whilst i just stood and accepted it. Just to demonstrate 'control'

As said - His control was normally immaculate BUT it had been a hard session and he slipped on sweat on the floor and smacked me full on in the face. My nose burst and blood splattered everywhere.

I staggered back and thought 'Oh Fudge!' but then turned to the class and said

'Now that is what you are all doing and it is wrong and i am sure you don't want to end up like this - so use control!'

they gasped the class continued and I had a sore face for weeks!

[feelmychi]

Here's another -

Was teaching a class doing Kihon Ippon Kumite and they were NOT showing control on the counters. So i stopped the class and called the strongest and most experienced student out and said to the class 'You must use control even on full power - now watch!'

I called out the senior and strongest student (his control was usually immaculate!)

I told him to step back and make Gedan barrai and then attack full power Jodan OI-tsuki: whilst i just stood and accepted it. Just to demonstrate 'control'

As said - His control was normally immaculate BUT it had been a hard session and he slipped on sweat on the floor and smacked me full on in the face. My nose burst and blood splattered everywhere.

I staggered back and thought 'Oh Fudge!' but then turned to the class and said

'Now that is what you are all doing and it is wrong and i am sure you don't want to end up like this - so use control!'

they gasped the class continued and I had a sore face for weeks!

Damnit you have an interesting life XD
feelmychi

[fujicolt]

That was about 30 years ago and i have been hit many times since - I used to be reasonably good looking but would now describe myself as 'a face like a Bulldog sucking a wasp'

Sadly - having recently met up with a lot of the 'old school' it seems i am not alone - even if i am one of the worst looking!

[Tom O'Brien]

Steve,

I like how you turned that situation around. Quick thinking as to 'what not to do'. Great stuff. But I still look as beautiful as ever.

Thanks,
Tom

[fujicolt]

Steve,

I like how you turned that situation around. Quick thinking as to 'what not to do'. Great stuff. But I still look as beautiful as ever.

Thanks,
Tom

Tom - i could never and would never comment on what 'beautiful is or is not' but i have seen photos of you and would describe you as having 'a face only a Mother could love'.........



........ I am joking your Stunning! but so is a grenade!!!