I thought I'd start a favourite memories from martial arts thread.
My number one favourite memory was when I was about 20 and part of a national demonstration team performing a demo at an inter-martial arts competition on a USAF base in the UK (I want to say Lakenheath, but I'm not sure if that's RAF or USAF, it might be mildenhall, anyway....).
It was my first time performing on this demo team and we were to perform the demo to start the competition. The instructors on the base were real big mean looking African-American dudes and they seemed a bit wary of whether we were going to be any good (i.e. a bit standoffish).
Anyway, after a bit of a sparring/self-defence demo we went on to breaking (kyukpa in Korean). My break was a flying side kick through a 1" pine board held by a guy sitting on top of another guy's shoulders. I made the break (and felt quite pleased with myself, I'd done the break before but not with so many eyes watching).
After the demo, one of the instructors came up and put his (HUGE) arm around my neck and said how brilliant it was and it came across so spectactular. I just beamed (being 20 years old and in the presence of a master saying how well I'd done).
Anyway, that was a great day.
My second favourite memory was a training session in Brixton with (half of) the Korean national taekwondo team. Brilliant session where I learnt a lot and had a chance to have a bit of a play-spar with the Koreans Middleweight World Champion while waiting in line to do a drill (while other lines were still finishing their drill the Koreans would play spar with the front guy in the line while waiting). Brilliant fun, he could have whipped me if he wanted to but a great learning experience.
My third favourite was my 3rd Dan grading. At one point in the grading you had to choose between doing a suspended board punch (1" thick bit of wood held by fingertips at the top) or a static punch (2" thick bit of wood held firmly by two assistants). The Grandmaster (Park, Soo-nam) in charge of the grading asked me whether I'd prefer to do the suspended punch or the static punch. I said I'd prefer to do the suspended punch to which he replied "OK, but we have no more 1" wood left, you'll have to do it with a 2" piece". The largest gulp ever!!! Anyway, I succeeded in breaking the wood, but man talk about a shock to the system...
After the grading he said I'd need to lose weight for my 4th Dan (that still hasn't happened and has got much worse) but that if I did, we'd go out afterwards and get some girls! Funny as hell coming from a huge Korean (Grandmaster Park isn't your typical short Korean) respectable Grandmaster with broken english.
Having my cord on my trousers loosen during training gloved up and getting one of the sexy girls to do it back up for me.
I think that'd distract me too much and I'd end up getting whacked! There's a place and time for sexy girls, but padded up and in training isn't one of them ;-)
Unless you're fighting them (yes, shock horror, I've hit women in the name of sport).
Richard was, as you will have discovered, one of Bruce's students.
As for whacking girls in training... never liked it. Had to once as she insisted we train together as was going on about hitting her. Her skills were low, she was jumping in with no guard, eventually I stuck out a light jab which she ran on to (honest guv) and she was laid out. I took off my gloves and refused to continue as it was a joke.
As for pretty young things in the gym... nice to have someone admire the kicks etc!! :-D
Richard was, as you will have discovered, one of Bruce's students.
As for whacking girls in training... never liked it. Had to once as she insisted we train together as was going on about hitting her. Her skills were low, she was jumping in with no guard, eventually I stuck out a light jab which she ran on to (honest guv) and she was laid out. I took off my gloves and refused to continue as it was a joke.
As for pretty young things in the gym... nice to have someone admire the kicks etc!! :-D
Ok, talking about fighting with girls (this is more karate i suspect)
Body punches, how hard not to punch their tit's ????
Ok, talking about fighting with girls (this is more karate i suspect)
Body punches, how hard not to punch their tit's ????
We're lucky in that we wear body armour for sparring so you just hit a pad no matter whats under it.
Other than that (at times when doing technical sparring without pads) I didn't really think about it, when it's a kick it's either hitting something softish (stomach/tits) or hard (ribs). It's all moving so fast you don't really have time to think "oops, tits, sorry about that"...
