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Thread: Martial Spirit

  1. #46
    when I started in TKD, there were two brothers who were blackbelts; both were big, strong and skilled; one was technically amazing; the other was just crazy; when they sparred you, they would knock you around at a level just beyond where you were at, but they did it concertedly, they hit hard, and they just kept coming; facing these guys, you came to know the meaning of fear, because they would hurt you - not too bad (unless you showed some spirit, then they really ramped it up, lol), but just enough for you to be on your toes, and have to really swallow that fear to get out on the floor w them; turns out that certain people wouldn't spar them (I know this because the head instructor told me, years later that every so often, someone would come to him and request to not be paired w either of them); in my mind, having to face these two was an exercise in martial spirit - I hated it, but in my mind there really wasn't any option other than facing them; so you put on your best game face, and died with honor...

    that's one way;

    the other, less combat oriented, is to have people do overnight wilderness survival outings - give them minimal items, they have to stay out for a set period of time, etc.; from personal experience, being alone in the woods, even though you know they know where you are, etc., is challenging; this builds martial spirit, albeit in a different way

  2. #47
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  3. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    when I started in TKD, there were two brothers who were blackbelts; both were big, strong and skilled; one was technically amazing; the other was just crazy; when they sparred you, they would knock you around at a level just beyond where you were at, but they did it concertedly, they hit hard, and they just kept coming; facing these guys, you came to know the meaning of fear, because they would hurt you - not too bad (unless you showed some spirit, then they really ramped it up, lol), but just enough for you to be on your toes, and have to really swallow that fear to get out on the floor w them; turns out that certain people wouldn't spar them (I know this because the head instructor told me, years later that every so often, someone would come to him and request to not be paired w either of them); in my mind, having to face these two was an exercise in martial spirit - I hated it, but in my mind there really wasn't any option other than facing them; so you put on your best game face, and died with honor...

    that's one way;

    the other, less combat oriented, is to have people do overnight wilderness survival outings - give them minimal items, they have to stay out for a set period of time, etc.; from personal experience, being alone in the woods, even though you know they know where you are, etc., is challenging; this builds martial spirit, albeit in a different way
    That reminds me of when I started in Kenpo and also Sh!to-ryu when I was a kid, I was 13, considered too old for the kids' class, but was the youngest in the regular class. There were a number of men in their early 20s to mid-30s at those schools who liked to spar very hard. When I sparred them, they didn't care that I was a 13 year old, and kind of small for 13 at that. They went as hard or almost as hard when I sparred them as they would against other adults. I seemed to end up paired with those guys a lot. Sometimes I got hurt, but I never complained. For the first couple years, I secretly hated it, but kept going back, because it never occurred to me to quit. I just kept going back for more. After a couple of years, I grew enough and gained enough toughness and experience to deal with them, and I began to like it. I figured if I could deal with much bigger/older/more aggressive and experienced men, I could deal with kids my own age. It was at that time I appreciated that I was never pampered.

    I don't know if many kids that age will be treated like that by adults in a dojo nowadays. The kid's parents would probably file a lawsuit.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 06-29-2012 at 12:56 PM.

  4. #49
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    I'm not sure I'd be comfortable sparring with a 13 year old.

    Whole can of worms there if you hurt a kid... and back in the day there wasn't anything I enjoyed more than full-contact bare-knuckle... so yeah, sticking to adults thanks.
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  5. #50
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    I'm not saying I would recommend adults sparring 13 year olds, only that my experience eventually turned into a positive one. Mind you, at the time I often dreaded it, and those particular guys at that particular time just did not care. And it could have easily turned into a disaster, too.

  6. #51
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    Well, the person in question that prompted this thread never followed up. So often the case where people sound interested, but don't take action.

    On another note... I heard from my nephew who's away for basic training at Air Force Academy. He said that bmt is a lot like kung fu, and that kung fu discipline has been a big help to him. He's one of the kids in the videos I've posted.

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