Instincts

[Tony]

Last night in my Kung Fu class our instructor made us partner up and we had to do round kicks to out partner's lower leg and then thigh. He had to reciprocate, we were allowed to block and counter, then we were allowed to kick to each other's shoulder. But accidentally as I was defending I landed a kick to his groin which knocked the wind out of him. I mean I would definately use this in a real fight but because I did this in class I had to do press ups. I seem to have this habit, unintentionally of causing foul strikes like these.
Then after we could use our hands to strike the legs and again I accidentally got him in the eye and that was with my little finger. I was amazed if my little finger could do that much harm then that would give me added incentive to attack when he is at his most vulnerable and can't see.
Because I'm flexible as well I nearly got my partner in the face and thank god I didn't because I could only kick to his shoulder and thats as high as we were allowed to go.
Sometimes I don't always hit the right target but my instincts seem to find vulnerable targets to hit anyway.

 

[Marginal]

Or you just have poor depth perception.

Reminds me of sparring white belts (TKD) in a way. They tend to grab at kicks (successfully). The instructors always remind them right away that they can't grab during sparring, but it makes you think, "If a white belt can catch that kick..."

On the other hand, they're hopeless when it comes to getting through your defenses when it comes to the whole punch and kick thing. No sense of spacing, timing, aim etc. If they do get through, it's a combination of luck and broken expectations on the part of the upper belt.

 

[Phoenix44]

Reminds me of sparring white belts (TKD) in a way. They tend to grab at kicks (successfully). The instructors always remind them right away that they can't grab during sparring, but it makes you think, "If a white belt can catch that kick..."

Maybe, but then again, no one's throwing hard at a white belt...

 

[OC Kid]

Tony, I dont know what rank your at or how long youve been training. But things like that happen in training especially at the early ranks/experiance.
It sounds like your doing ok to me.

 

[Tony]

I am a Yellow Sash in Shaolin Long fist Kung Fu. The belt system differs from the Japanese and Korean Martial arts, so Yellow sash is quite a senior grade because the next level is brown, 1st Brown and then black so I'm about 1 or 2 belts from black.
I think my instincts are based on my fear of getting hit and fear is such a good friend because it makes you less sensitive to pain, and more alert.
I also notice I am quite fast too when fighting an opponent.
Oh and I've been studying this System for 6 years but still a very long way to go!

 

[OC Kid]

Very good. Well having been there maybe its happeneing because your getting close to your B/B and trying hard to show that you nkow the techniques ect. its common with people at your rank. I went through it as did others Im sure. It could also be the person that your paired up with is a under belt or beginniner. They havent learrned enough to prevent things like that happening in training. Its a normal part of training. ive had wrst broke, ribs cracked (once on both sides at the same time) traning injuries happen dont sweatt it. Im sure you had your share of injuries also. So keep at it maybe slow down paractice more control when working in pairs. It important to keep your playmates safe so they can/will play another day..:>)

 

[Tony]

Thanks! The guy I was lightly sparring with is also the same grade as me but he has participated in tournaments. I have sparred with him at other times and I have noticed he likes to lunge at me with a punch to which, I merely duck. I guess last night I was trying to counter his legs with mine I must have accidentally hit him in the groin, but how impressed I was he had to take a minute to recover. Lucky for him that wasn't real fight or else he would be black and bruised but then again in a real situation adrenaline would kick in and you wouldn't feel so much pain. I know because I've been there and at the time I had no training what so ever. I was absolutely petrified but even though my attackers were trying to hurt me really bad I couldn't feel a thing.
Another reason why I guess I have good instincts is because I practice a lot.
But I think this is why I couldn't enter a tournament because there are so many rules I would be thinking too much about what I can and can't use.
I sometimes feel like tellin people what they're doing wrong because I want to see people get better but I don't want to appear arrogant.
For example when I have sparred with this guy he sometimes gives away his intention thus telegraphing his movements. It was quite scary last night because I missed his face my inches. I am very comfortable kicking to that height but I have no problems kicking lower when necessary.
I try to adapt to new people when I'm sparring because I think I have observed how the guys in my class spar. Maybe they would fight differently for real but what I notice is one guy lunging trying to fake me out, another using hand combo techinques and occasionally his legs, another continually getting me on the defensive and waiting for me to kick him so he can catch my leg, and another waiting for me to attack and he launches his attack after he has blocked and countered.
Oh and by the way yes I have had injuries, such as having my thumb dislocated by a kick but I kept sparring. It makes it interesting only fighting with one hand.

 

[Cthulhu]

Sounds more like lack of control than instict to me.

Cthulhu

 

[AdrenalineJunky]

Sounds more like lack of control than instict to me.

Cthulhu

Control, maybe, but concentration sounds more likely to me. I got popped in the cheek last night, no gloves, by one of my friends who's training with me. He did the form a few times, got comfortable and started speeding up the drill. With Muay Thai it's kind of a toss-up, because you have to train HARD, but not at the expense of technique. Even as long as I've been doing it, I still can get into the mode and throw one or two extra knees. When I catch myself, I just slow it down and stick to the drill. Like OC Kid said: "It important to keep your playmates safe so they can/will play another day."

 

[Storm]

Lack of control - Loss of concenration, we all have days like that no mater what grade we are.

Did the same thing myself last night. The teens had chest protection on and we were to just throw a front kick(above the belt of course) and then a roundhouse to the side.

All was going fine the kicks were going out, not too hard as they were meant to be practicing their universal blocks and then throwing in a few punches to retaliate, then along came one of my instructors and told me I should be doing the roundhouse to the head. So I did and I got him. Didnt mean too but it didnt hurt him too much, gave him more of a fright as I wasnt going full force, surprised myself and my Instructor that my leg went up that high as the kid is a bit taller than myself.

All in all the boy walked away knowing the importance of good blocks and I went away happy I didnt hurt him and that I had done a reasonably high kick for me. Not going to beat myself up. Mistakes happen.

 

[Gary Crawford]

Tony,I told you before,you need to do some competitions.It will teach you some control.But most importantly,it will give you the experience you need to help you overcome some of your fear.You don't have to compete in sparring the first time.Enter one just in forms to get you used to the enviroment,you have nothing to loose! do it!You'll be glad you did.

 

[Littledragon]

Or you just have poor depth perception.

Reminds me of sparring white belts (TKD) in a way. They tend to grab at kicks (successfully). The instructors always remind them right away that they can't grab during sparring, but it makes you think, "If a white belt can catch that kick..."

On the other hand, they're hopeless when it comes to getting through your defenses when it comes to the whole punch and kick thing. No sense of spacing, timing, aim etc. If they do get through, it's a combination of luck and broken expectations on the part of the upper belt.

Then who ever is kicking, their kicks are not fast enough or skilled as well as timing is off..

 

[Littledragon]

Sounds more like lack of control than instict to me.

Cthulhu

In my opinion its better to use more force while training so you are used to it more when applying it on the street but for class and training with a partner yes I agree with you it can be a lack of control.

 

[Marginal]

Then who ever is kicking, their kicks are not fast enough or skilled as well as timing is off..

So basically, you're saying that nobody ever, could ever catch a high kick on the street? Interesting theory.

 

[Tony]

Tony,I told you before,you need to do some competitions.It will teach you some control.But most importantly,it will give you the experience you need to help you overcome some of your fear.You don't have to compete in sparring the first time.Enter one just in forms to get you used to the enviroment,you have nothing to loose! do it!You'll be glad you did.

Gary I understand what you're saying and I try to deal with my fear through the occasional sparring in class and the therapy I'm in now.
And I don't really fancy driving 100 miles to a tournament and have to wait for hours for my first match. Because over here thats what happens. At the moment I'm looking for work and that holds more priority for me then going to these competitions where you have to fight using rules and if you win you get some false sense of confidence. Because street encounters are so different, but its certainly valid that atleast I would become more desensitised to fighting and getting hit.
Its optional for us to enter these competitions but I know there are clubs out there that breed fighters and these places have a policy that is is compulsory to enter competitions. Is this what Martial Arts is all about? to wallow in someone else's defeat in a tournament environment with enforced rules.
Every time I go to class I see the people to participate talk about their experiences and how their egos seem to be growing just because they scored more points than the other person or maybe disappointed that they lost.
There are some schools that are not competitive and merely teach for self defence and spiritual devlopment. In order to be a complete Martial Artist we have to develop our minds and as well as our bodies.
Using physical force should always be a last resort because self defence isn't always about knocking someone out but trying to talk them out.
It baffles me why two people who have neber met each other before and have no personal grievance with each other would want to hurt each other. This certainly seems evident in the cage fighting Arenas and UFC when you see the blood pouring out the combatants noses and lips.
I know one other person in my class who like me has no interest in entering competitions because he isn't there to win trophies but to learn the Art, to get fit, and because its fun.
And by the way I have a lot of control. Yesterday I was trying to reverse out of a parking space and I couldn't get out because this stupid woman had her door open, so if I had tried to reverse I would have knocked my wing mirror out. Subsequently another person in was waiting for me to come out so he could park there. He honked his horn at me and I got really p@ssed off I felt like punching him but I exercised control and didn't! I didn't even start shouting at him and calling him names. I merely calmed myself down and drove away. So I really don't see how these competitions help you with control because I hear from these guys that do it , that they resemble full out brawls.
I know my friend who has been learning Taekwondo for about 2 years will think I'm a wimp for not competing because he seems to think my Kung Fu training is laughable! He has said to me "why don't you be a man and do Taekwondo"? which shows his ignorance. But I everytime he talks about his sparring matches he says he is made to stop by his instructor for using too much contact but he actually laughs about it, as if he has achieved some personal victory. I remember one time he wanted to spar with me but I refused because I was afraid I would lose, thus proving to him that Kung Fu is not good ( wrongfully). And that would be another personal victory for him to gloat on. But you know I have some advantage because I have more experience in Martial Arts than he does, I'm million times more flexible and can kick really well but he is just more agressive

 

[kenpo tiger]

Gary I understand what you're saying and I try to deal with my fear through the occasional sparring in class and the therapy I'm in now.
And I don't really fancy driving 100 miles to a tournament and have to wait for hours for my first match. Because over here thats what happens. At the moment I'm looking for work and that holds more priority for me then going to these competitions where you have to fight using rules and if you win you get some false sense of confidence. Because street encounters are so different, but its certainly valid that atleast I would become more desensitised to fighting and getting hit.
Its optional for us to enter these competitions but I know there are clubs out there that breed fighters and these places have a policy that is is compulsory to enter competitions. Is this what Martial Arts is all about? to wallow in someone else's defeat in a tournament environment with enforced rules.
Every time I go to class I see the people to participate talk about their experiences and how their egos seem to be growing just because they scored more points than the other person or maybe disappointed that they lost.
There are some schools that are not competitive and merely teach for self defence and spiritual devlopment. In order to be a complete Martial Artist we have to develop our minds and as well as our bodies.
Using physical force should always be a last resort because self defence isn't always about knocking someone out but trying to talk them out.
It baffles me why two people who have neber met each other before and have no personal grievance with each other would want to hurt each other. This certainly seems evident in the cage fighting Arenas and UFC when you see the blood pouring out the combatants noses and lips.
I know one other person in my class who like me has no interest in entering competitions because he isn't there to win trophies but to learn the Art, to get fit, and because its fun.
And by the way I have a lot of control. Yesterday I was trying to reverse out of a parking space and I couldn't get out because this stupid woman had her door open, so if I had tried to reverse I would have knocked my wing mirror out. Subsequently another person in was waiting for me to come out so he could park there. He honked his horn at me and I got really p@ssed off I felt like punching him but I exercised control and didn't! I didn't even start shouting at him and calling him names. I merely calmed myself down and drove away. So I really don't see how these competitions help you with control because I hear from these guys that do it , that they resemble full out brawls.
I know my friend who has been learning Taekwondo for about 2 years will think I'm a wimp for not competing because he seems to think my Kung Fu training is laughable! He has said to me "why don't you be a man and do Taekwondo"? which shows his ignorance. But I everytime he talks about his sparring matches he says he is made to stop by his instructor for using too much contact but he actually laughs about it, as if he has achieved some personal victory. I remember one time he wanted to spar with me but I refused because I was afraid I would lose, thus proving to him that Kung Fu is not good ( wrongfully). And that would be another personal victory for him to gloat on. But you know I have some advantage because I have more experience in Martial Arts than he does, I'm million times more flexible and can kick really well but he is just more agressive

I've been reading your posts and it seems to me that you've been a ma practitioner for a while and are pretty secure in your abilities. One of the hardest things I had to get past was what other people thought. I don't care, and you shouldn't either. I do martial arts for myself. If you choose to compete, that's a choice you make for yourself. It's not about who's bigger, stronger, faster, jumps or kicks higher. You do what you do to the best of YOUR abilities.

As to injuring a training partner, we all get hurt now and then. I had a classmate break my finger doing a technique because he stomped on it too hard. He, in turn, was injured during the sparring portion of his black belt test. It happens, and it isn't intentional. It's all part of it, and we all know that. BTW - I'm a woman. I've had broken ribs, fingers, toes, and a variety of bumps and bruises, and I'm a better fighter for it. Means I didn't get a block off and I need to work harder to do so. It's not because someone wanted to hurt me. Hope this helps a little! KT:asian:

 

[AdrenalineJunky]

Well said KT. Some people just do stuff for fun, not everything's a competition. I don't mind losing; because if you never lose, you never improve. Tony, once you have the desire to fight, you'll train to fight. Trust me, there's a bruise about every three inches, covering most of my body. Conditioning is 3 min. of uncontested face shots, body shots and round kick blocks. Only using 16oz gloves, though. But, I have to learn not to blink when someone lands a punch, and what good does blocking a round kick do if my shins aren't conditioned. Don't rush yourself, because it won't be a pleasurable experience if you do. I enjoy getting the poo knocked out of me, because I want to fight, so it's worth it. No sense in getting knocked around for no good reason. As for your TKD friend, seems like he only wants to fight those he thinks he can beat. Kinda sad, if you ask me. But he's welcome to come spar with me so he can see just how sissy the art of Muay Thai is. :idunno:

AJ

 

[kenpo tiger]

Well said KT.

Thank you.:asian: KT

 

[8253]

Things happen in training. A person must learn control of what their body does, even if it is based on instinct. The eyes, groin, etc are good targets in a fight. However it must be controlled in training.

 

[SMP]

Last night in my Kung Fu class our instructor made us partner up and we had to do round kicks to out partner's lower leg and then thigh. He had to reciprocate, we were allowed to block and counter, then we were allowed to kick to each other's shoulder. But accidentally as I was defending I landed a kick to his groin which knocked the wind out of him. I mean I would definately use this in a real fight but because I did this in class I had to do press ups. I seem to have this habit, unintentionally of causing foul strikes like these.
Then after we could use our hands to strike the legs and again I accidentally got him in the eye and that was with my little finger. I was amazed if my little finger could do that much harm then that would give me added incentive to attack when he is at his most vulnerable and can't see.
Because I'm flexible as well I nearly got my partner in the face and thank god I didn't because I could only kick to his shoulder and thats as high as we were allowed to go.
Sometimes I don't always hit the right target but my instincts seem to find vulnerable targets to hit anyway.

Tony I think the issue is one of "control" in that you have to have complete control of a technique. This comes through training. It is not controling just your anger. Further I would suggest you evaluate what you would like out of your journey in martial arts and discuss it with your instructor. For you right now the journey may be more mental and focussed on flexability for your friend it may be more physical. Remember a journey is made up of many steps. Good Luck