Student testing the teacher

Shotgun Buddha

Brown Belt
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Sep 22, 2006
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Ive seen this happen two ways in my club.
The first is where someone tries the whole "tough-guy-smash" routine, and start actively trying to hurt any partners who are smaller than them during basic technique training. What usually follows is my sensei, who is a small man, walk over and ask yon tough guy to do the same to him. Tough guy will punch, leg kick sensei etc as hard as they can, and then sensei will just sorta shrug it off and smile. Then he will very very carefully low kick the tough guy back, who will drop to the ground unable to stand.
One if the guys who this happened with went onto become one of our clubs nicest members and was in future always careful to work at the training partners level and ability, rather than just bully them.

The second way tends to involve me, although it only happens every now and then. We will be giving a demonstration of a ground technique and I will play my part in it, letting him apply the technique properly. Then once everyone understands how the technique works, he will ask me not just to resist, but to actively fight back and try to win. What follows tends to be a minor war, which all the other students watch in fascination for a chance to see this being applied dynamically rather than just statically.
 

jdinca

Master Black Belt
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I've only had to face this once. A young man walked up to me during class, put his hands around my throat and asked "what would you do if someone did this?". While he was coming to the grips with the fact his arms were suddenly up over his head, I pointed to his now open core and calmly said, "at this point, I would take you apart". Never had another problem with him.

By the time students have been around for awhile, the discipline within the school just doesn't allow this to happen. When it does, the student receives a mild lesson, usually a nonverbal one. :whip1:
 

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