Trials and Tribulations

[Willow Palm]

I'm interesting in seeing how many people how practice CMA have been in a fight. Speaking personally I find my demeanor to much more pleasant after CMA than before, and have avoided unnessasary conflict. Instead of fighting I would like to hear other stories about why a style, or a certain technique worked in handling a conflict you may have had. Did this encourage you to continuing practicing or did you move on to something else that better suits you? Thank you!

Warren

[GeneChing]

...I do volunteer psych tech work for a special division of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. My specialty is managing combative and abusive patients, especially when drugs are involved. You know all those stories about guys whacked on crack or PCP? I'm the guy that takes them down. It's quite different than the fighting scenario most peopel envision, because I'm not trying to hurt the patient, just contain him (or her, as the case maybe). I have had to deal with armed patients, but that's pretty rare. Usually, it's just trying to subdue someone out of control. I talk about it in my first Shaolin Trips article (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=469).

[Samurai Jack]

Like Gene, I too work in mental health doing a remarkably similar job. I previously practiced Hsing-i and before that Kung fu San Soo. I also did some judo and boxing when I was younger. Unfortunately I found the mindset and techniques of all of those arts completly inappropriate for the way I was to handle my patients. Not only am I not supposed to hurt them, I didn't want to most of the time!

As a result I had to find an art that would be valuable for the situations I found myself in five or six days a week. I found that most of the time I was using Chin-na techniques, but we didn't really train them as often as I liked. In the end I settled on Aikido because it focuses on unbalancing, restraining,and controlling my opponent, the very skills I am called upon to perform almost every day. I couldn't be happier with my choice.

[Hard Fists]

Darn, Gene, you volunteer for that?! They'd have to pay me...guess I'm just materialistic...or poor. Anyway, I haven't really been in a fight since I started training CMA. I worked as a bouncer for about six years in different clubs and bars around DC. I trained a little judo and found it pretty helpful in tying people up in cramped places and kicking them in the butt on the way out the door. In my kung fu training, I think that my response to the same situations would probably be a little more physical-reactions are quicker and more violent. Good thing that the humbleness and spirituality have kicked in, I don't foresee another street fight in my future unless it is truly self defense, and I can prove it:)

[Willow Palm]

Nice story Gene! Thanks for the input guys. I understand that your job or volunteer work doesn't promote violence and I completely agree. I do not justify excess force either. Has anyone else got any cool stories about how they applied a technique in a real combative situation?

Warren