Red belt blues

[karatekid1975]

Hiya all.

I read a book on "Teaching Martial Arts." I don't remember who it's by, sorry. I'll look it up and get back to you. Anyways, they said that some females, at some time, have doubts about their training. I think I'm at that point.

In my case, I don't want my black belt (red is just before black in TKD) till I KNOW I can back it up somehow (just short of going on the street and finding out LOL). I don't just want the rank (this is kinda weird for a TKD student huh? .... sorry, bad joke). Anyone that has read the book knows what I'm talking about.

I have defended myself in the past, but it was against a skinny punk, and I basically took care of him. I was thinking at work today, about this guy who works with me if he attacked me. He's about 250lbs, and all muscle. Big guy. How would I do against an attacker like him? I'm 150bls, and I've been training for 4 years, but would that be a match against a body builder freak intending to do harm?

What do you all think? Oppinions?

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

I suspect you would get hurt. Black belt is not a vest of invincibility, but rather a road-marker as to where one is with respect to their progress in a given system. You could, concievably, get to 10th degree black belt, know what there is to know about your system and perform/execute it's techniques flawlessly, and still get tooled in a knock-down/drag-out brawl.

Pursue your goals because the hobby brings you pleasure. Even ripping bad-arses have off days, and are vulnerable depending on circumnstance. Everybody can get shot, effortlessly. Anyone can get cold-c o c k e d. Just train, have fun, and hope you'll never actually need to test yourself. Sometime winning is more traumatic on the mind than losing is on the body.

Regards,

Dave

 

[jfarnsworth]

I think that you might do ok with what you've been taught but you will most likely get hurt in the end. I would suspect that most would get hurt as well. With someone that big the best thing to hope for is that you could strike his knee as fast as possible or hope to hit the groin or both. As everyone should know that achieving black belt status isn't becoming the all mighty mystic warrior that can beat all/everything. It just means you are an expert at the basics. There are so many things to learn that not one of us will ever get complete mastery of our chosen art in the duration of our lifetime. It just won't happen. My advice karatekid is to have fun, train hard, and hope you don't have to use it.
By the way, congratulations on your red belt. I recall that after you joined MT you had just or recently switched arts and started over again. Good job.
:asian:

 

[theletch1]

It isn't just some females that question their ability...it's everyone, male and female that does that at some point...or at several points as the case may be. Sometimes all it takes is a really good training session where you felt that you were really having an ON night to get rid of those doubts for a while. Of course, it only takes one really OFF night to cause those doubts to come right back. During a recent conversation with my sensei along the same topic line he admitted to me that there are still times now and then that he wonders how effective he as an individual would be in some situations. It's a natural part of training and to an extent a good thing. Keeps you from getting complaicant, lazy or too egotistical. Those that say they never have a doubt are either fooling themselves or trying to fool you.

I agree with the other posts here that you'd probably get hurt in a confrontation with someone who out weighs you by 100 lbs, most all of us would. The trick is to use your training to avoid the confrontation in the first place, minimize the damage if that fails and be able to use good technique to extract yourself as quickly as possible.

 

[karatekid1975]

If it fails ... why am I training and paying for this amount of money a month? I know in a self defense situation, you can get hurt in some way. Well, not the last time for me against this skinny punk, but I know there's a chance of getting cut/hurt/shot/whatever. But I wanna know I have a chance, period. I guess that's what I'm trying to say ..... it's hard to explain.

Sorry ..... see, I'm definfitely having doubts and ready to give it up. It could be just a "phase," too. Who knows.

 

[bignick]

If it fails ... why am I training and paying for this amount of money a month? I know in a self defense situation, you can get hurt in some way. Well, not the last time for me against this skinny punk, but I know there's a chance of getting cut/hurt/shot/whatever. But I wanna know I have a chance, period. I guess that's what I'm trying to say ..... it's hard to explain.

Sorry ..... see, I'm definfitely having doubts and ready to give it up. It could be just a "phase," too. Who knows.

You always have a chance and training increasing your chances...it's not something you can really measure. Like other's have said...there's much more to training than pure self-defense. However, to be honest...if that is all you're looking for and you don't think you're getting it than maybe it is time to move on...

Not that I'm encouraging you to quit, but if training has lost all it's appeal to you...then you are not really benefitting from your training anymore. You get out what you put in and if you don't enjoy it you won't be putting much in...

I suggest really evaluating your reasons and needs for training and then determine if they are being met in your current situation

 

[theletch1]

I've been in your position many times. With me it's always been a phase that has passed and often hasn't even really had anything to do with my training. Most times there has been something truly stressful (like my last wife being unfaithful) that has put me into a funk. I really doubt that your training would fail you completely because, as Bignick said, training increases your chances of success. Is it possible that you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself now that you are almost at the perceived goal of black belt? I know that you think you are having a hard time getting your point across but most all of us can relate to what you are saying. Don't give up on your training, you've come this far in it that it obviously means a lot to you. Trust in your minds ability to recall your training even if your conscious mind goes hay wire. Feel free to PM me if this gets to a point where you are seriously contemplating giving up on the whole martial arts thing. :asian:

 

[MJS]

Hiya all.

I read a book on "Teaching Martial Arts." I don't remember who it's by, sorry. I'll look it up and get back to you. Anyways, they said that some females, at some time, have doubts about their training. I think I'm at that point.

In my case, I don't want my black belt (red is just before black in TKD) till I KNOW I can back it up somehow (just short of going on the street and finding out LOL). I don't just want the rank (this is kinda weird for a TKD student huh? .... sorry, bad joke). Anyone that has read the book knows what I'm talking about.

I have defended myself in the past, but it was against a skinny punk, and I basically took care of him. I was thinking at work today, about this guy who works with me if he attacked me. He's about 250lbs, and all muscle. Big guy. How would I do against an attacker like him? I'm 150bls, and I've been training for 4 years, but would that be a match against a body builder freak intending to do harm?

What do you all think? Oppinions?

I agree with Dave. A BB, or any belt for that matter, does not turn the person wearing it into Superman. I understand what you're saying when you said this:

If it fails ... why am I training and paying for this amount of money a month?

Again, training does not make one invincible, but it should give you the edge. As for the size vs. strength debate....that is something that has been talked about countless times. IMO, just because someone is 6'5 and 250lbs., well, that does not make him a Superman either. No matter how much he works out, he can't lift weights with his eyes or groin!

I would suggest that you sit down and re-evaluate your training. You need to think about what you're goals are and determine if they're being met by your current training methods. What do you want out of your training? Are those goals being met? If so, then you're on the right path. If not, then like I said, you need to fix that.

Good luck on your decision. Let us know what you decide and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!

Mike

 

[lulflo]

Hey KarateKid,


It sounds like your dilemma is about the ability to defend yourself most of all. I think it would be wise to spar with people who respect your goals. If you aren't able to defend yourself the way you are hoping to, talk to your teacher to see if there are additional fighting techniques you can be taught or if there are complimentary arts that you want to consider. I am a student of the martial arts period. Although I have a base (Hwa Rang Do), I also like to spar with Muy Thai and grapple with Brazilian Jui Jitsu, etc. I learn just as much that way (if not more), than just working with my fellow brothers and sisters in training sessions. I don't know your exact situation, but I wouldn't hold up your training for any reason. My take on color belts is that I am just learning the basics so that I have a ground to stand on when the real training begins - at black belt. I guess I am borrowing my teacher's art until then. Once a black belt is achieved, that is when it will become a mix of my teacher's and my own. Good luck to you.

Farang - Larry

 

[Drac]

With someone that big the best thing to hope for is that you could strike his knee as fast as possible or hope to hit the groin or both.
:asian:

Great words of wisdom there Jason, I hope they heed them..

 

[karatekid1975]

I've been in your position many times. With me it's always been a phase that has passed and often hasn't even really had anything to do with my training. Most times there has been something truly stressful (like my last wife being unfaithful) that has put me into a funk. I really doubt that your training would fail you completely because, as Bignick said, training increases your chances of success. Is it possible that you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself now that you are almost at the perceived goal of black belt? I know that you think you are having a hard time getting your point across but most all of us can relate to what you are saying. Don't give up on your training, you've come this far in it that it obviously means a lot to you. Trust in your minds ability to recall your training even if your conscious mind goes hay wire. Feel free to PM me if this gets to a point where you are seriously contemplating giving up on the whole martial arts thing. :asian:

Thanks for your support, everyone. theletch1, I think you may be onto something there. I did recently go through trama (death in the family) this past summer. Do you think that would really have an effect on my training? I kinda don't think so, because this person, if they were alive, would be very upset with me if I quit. He supported me whole-heartedly.

I also think this could be a "phase, or like you said, "Is it possible that you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself now that you are almost at the perceived goal of black belt?" It's possible.

 

[bignick]

I also think this could be a "phase, or like you said, "Is it possible that you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself now that you are almost at the perceived goal of black belt?" It's possible.

It is entirely possible that you could be "sabotaging" yourself. Before I tested for my black belt a couple months ago just about every negative thought about it passed through my head. I'm not ready, not good enough, should just wait for awhile, although I never really thought about quitting every other excuse for not testing popped into my head. Then finally, a few weeks before the test I just finally realized that, you know what, the test may be longer, may be harder, but it's just another color, just another belt test. I'm not gonna lie and say I stopped being completely nervous, but I was definitely more relaxed. And you know what else? The day of the test came and I'd had maybe 5 hours of sleep tops because of a fire alarm in my building at 2 or 3 in the morning. Even with all that, during the test I had more fun doing tae kwon do than I've had in a long time. When I was done I finally did realize how silly my worries had been, because what was the absolute worse that could happen? Not passing? No big deal...a lot of people don't pass their black belt test the first time. It just means I'd have to try again. My point is just try to enjoy your training, if for nothing else, for its own sake. I have one major rule in life, if it's not fun anymore, it's time to think about why you're doing it...and I'm sure there was something that made you stick around this long you just have to remember what it was.

 

[LT2002]

Black Belt for most is the beginning of study, when you test or are asked to test for your first dan you will be tested on your technique, and ability to demostrate your skills of the past 3 or more years of your study.

Your instructor knows your ability, but your test is the time for you to show your ability to yourself.

Once at 1st Dan, neverousness is normal, but you will begin to teach your skills to other new students while continuing to study yourself (assuming you are chosing to continue to study after your test).

There is no magic punch or kick to save the world. Through your practice and watching the students you teach improve you will soon have more confidence with what you already know.

Chin up, it all just takes time!