Hit Me
This blog entry is either about violence or BlackJack... maybe... violent blackjack.
I've been doing a certain style of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu for about 8 years now. I've got the black belt. I help teach classes. I try and walk a tight rope between trying to keep the training applicable and trying not to scare off new students with a high injury rate or "machismo" attitude.
Give an example of how I walk this tightrope? Sure.
I wanted to spar with someone who had never really sparred before. I gave him a set of gloves, he was nervous -- I'm bigger than he is. So, I give him the standard instructions:
Just try and hit me. I'll just block and parry and work to "move in" on you. We'll work up to more contact later.
He nods, and takes a slow-motion punch at an area about 2 feet from my head. I'm not sure if he was trying to hit me, or give me some sort of weird "props". This clearly was not going to work -- dodging punches that would never connect, and would never hurt if they did, is not a good way to sharpen skills. So, I try a new teaching technique. I call it the "Ed Face Method". Let me demonstrate it to you:
Ed:Let's try something different. I'm going to stand here, and I want you to punch me in the face.
Guy:Ok. bump
Ed:Good, we have some contact, but I want you to hit me a little harder, please.
Guy:Um.. ok.. bump
Ed:Yes. Better, but, there is alot of padding on that glove, don't be afraid to swing it. Try again, and try it a little harder.
Guy:Are you sure? Ok... bump
Ed: Harder.
Guy: bump
Ed:Harder.
Guy: bump
Ed:Hit me harder or I will put you on the ground so fast you won't get up until next Tuesday.
Guy: thwack
Ed: Ouch. good. Let's start the sparring over, and hit like that from now on.
At the time, I was happy that I was able to help this person "let go" a little bit and work in some more "alive" training. It wasn't until I got home and recounted the events of the day that I wondered...what on earth is wrong with me?
I'm a 31 year old man that just made some 20 year old kid punch him in the face repeatedly. That's my hobby -- having college kids punch me. In High School that was called bullying and we tried to avoid it!
I'm trying to find a decent picture of some of the kind of abuse we do several times a week. This throw looks fairly indicative of the kind of abuse we take:
Thank you, google images
Now, drop like that 50 times in 2 hours and you start to wonder, on the way home to pop the Advil, why this whole business isn't left up to teenagers. I'd be much obliged to understand, from anyone, why anyone in the arts does this to themselves. I've been scratching my head for 8 years on that one.
-Ed
I've been doing a certain style of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu for about 8 years now. I've got the black belt. I help teach classes. I try and walk a tight rope between trying to keep the training applicable and trying not to scare off new students with a high injury rate or "machismo" attitude.
Give an example of how I walk this tightrope? Sure.
I wanted to spar with someone who had never really sparred before. I gave him a set of gloves, he was nervous -- I'm bigger than he is. So, I give him the standard instructions:
He nods, and takes a slow-motion punch at an area about 2 feet from my head. I'm not sure if he was trying to hit me, or give me some sort of weird "props". This clearly was not going to work -- dodging punches that would never connect, and would never hurt if they did, is not a good way to sharpen skills. So, I try a new teaching technique. I call it the "Ed Face Method". Let me demonstrate it to you:
Ed:Let's try something different. I'm going to stand here, and I want you to punch me in the face.
Guy:Ok. bump
Ed:Good, we have some contact, but I want you to hit me a little harder, please.
Guy:Um.. ok.. bump
Ed:Yes. Better, but, there is alot of padding on that glove, don't be afraid to swing it. Try again, and try it a little harder.
Guy:Are you sure? Ok... bump
Ed: Harder.
Guy: bump
Ed:Harder.
Guy: bump
Ed:Hit me harder or I will put you on the ground so fast you won't get up until next Tuesday.
Guy: thwack
Ed: Ouch. good. Let's start the sparring over, and hit like that from now on.
At the time, I was happy that I was able to help this person "let go" a little bit and work in some more "alive" training. It wasn't until I got home and recounted the events of the day that I wondered...what on earth is wrong with me?
I'm a 31 year old man that just made some 20 year old kid punch him in the face repeatedly. That's my hobby -- having college kids punch me. In High School that was called bullying and we tried to avoid it!
I'm trying to find a decent picture of some of the kind of abuse we do several times a week. This throw looks fairly indicative of the kind of abuse we take:
Now, drop like that 50 times in 2 hours and you start to wonder, on the way home to pop the Advil, why this whole business isn't left up to teenagers. I'd be much obliged to understand, from anyone, why anyone in the arts does this to themselves. I've been scratching my head for 8 years on that one.
-Ed
posted by Ed at 12:58 AM
2 Comments:
Why not just take your digital camera in and snap some shots?
Because they would all be shots of the floor or ceiling. Plus, if I landed on the camera, it would break.
8)
If you want to see a picture of me throwing Linda, look at the "Linda" post from October. I'll dig around and see if I have any other shots around. Not all of us are expert photographers! 8)
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