Have you ever done kickboxing?

Have you ever done any sort of self-defense training? Did you find it intimidating or powerful? I felt like an idiot at first because I didn't want to hurt anyone, and when I saw these people actually sparring and hitting each other I thought to myself, "Now, isn't this what you're trying to avoid?"

Or is that just me being a big wuss?

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

Answers

(Nice to see you post Pamie, I hope this post finds you in better health!) I have had both the honor and priveldge to train under the greatest martial artist in the united states, Master Robert Bussey. If you want the history, I'll be more than happy to give it to ya just let me know.:) The main point to sparring is to learn how to apply what you have learned. When I started my training, the first class I saw was some of the guys sparring with no pads, head gear, or gloves. They were making full contact everywhere but the face. I was really nervous. The thing I learned after many hours of this, is that the hits and slaps don't bother you the more you train. The body has a shock reflex whenever someone shows aggressiom toward you and hits you. The reflex that makes you turn your head away and put your arms up in defense. The one that floods your system with adrenaline, gives you that feeling in the pit of your stomach, makes you breathing very shallow, and makes you shake from head to toe. Eventually that goes away, and fighting, sparring etc.. becomes almost mechanical. Did you get to that point as Little John was handing it to you? Where the fear and anxiety subside and you just start looking for the opening?

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

No, mostly as Little John was hitting me I was thinking, "I really thought I was just going to be kicking big punching bags today. I didn't think I'd be dodging punches."

Now he was going slowly, and he'd talk me through it like he was an attacker and where I should be looking to hit him. I'd hit him and then he'd tell me where I should hit next. Since he wasn't a quiet big scary guy trying to kill me I wasn't too afraid, but mostly worried about our saftey.

I never got past that first feeling of, "Ooh, I shouldn't really hit him too hard because he's another person and he doesn't deserve to be hit."

And since I saw him wailing on Eric, I know he was going easy on my girlie self as well. I appreciate that.

I was told it would take a long time to get over that initial hesitation to hit or kick someone. I think that's a good instinct that we have-- we don't really want to hit anyone. We have to be trained to hit people. We want to push them away and have them go home. We have to be invaded before we'll fight.

I think that's a real good thing.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

I totally agree. One of the tenants of our organization (RBWI) was that "We train to fight so that we do not have to." I have only had to use my training one time, and not to a violent end, well at least not on my part...

Shortly after receiving jr. instructor status, there was a guy who picked a fight with me in a Taco Bueno parking lot because "I cut him off" in the parking lot.

I apologized profusely, I offered to move my car, yet he still wanted to fight me. The thing is, when he was standing there in front of me yelling and screaming, I knew he was going to do something physical and I was afraid, except not for me but for him. The training I have recieved is EXTREMELY brutal, and I was very concerned about controlling it when the adrenaline is going.

So when I knew that there was no talking my way out of it, I yelled "I am a trained fighter and that I do not want to fight you!" (as there were witnesses), and he proceeded to take his first swing.

Without striking him, in that first swing I was able to put him on his back and subdue him using a pain point. I told him I did not want to fight, and asked if I let him up could we just walk away, to which through wincing and clinched teeth he agreed. I let him go and that was it.

Just for the record, I do not believe that I am a "bad ass". I simply have an advantage over people who have not trained in any fighting method.

Pamie's Haiku:

Pamie KNOWS Billy Tae-bo yo ass in the ground! You dont believe me?

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

woops, I messed up the last Haiku, so let me try this again basically the same only different.

Captain Tal's Haiku:

I screwed the Haiku

I am an illiterate

Fogive me I suck

Pamie's new and improved Haiku (edited for content):

Pamie KNOWS Billy

Tae-Bo yo ass in the ground

Pamie is NO wuss!

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

I used to take a cardio-kickboxing class for almost a year until the instructor had to stop teaching for internal health reasons (don't ask). However, since I was already a pro at his weak little class, I thought I was more than ready to take a regular kickboxing class with real gloves, real bags and real martial arts instructors. I think I literally had a heart attack the first day but I made it through, sweating profusely and cussing out everyone even remotely associated with the school. I was cussing out the trashmen that pick up the trash for the instructors. I was cussing out the salesmen where they buy their clothes! I vowed never to return. A couple days later they suckered me into a 6 month membership that I have to renew this month. I'll have to admit that it helps that the instructors a beautiful Adonis types, the types that you can take pain from.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1999

I used to take a kickboxing class, but then I moved half-way across the country, so I had to quit. I'm now a member of an all-women boxing gym. I really really love it. Our coach is one of the most amazing women I've ever met; she was a professional boxer and kickboxer back before women did that sort of thing (thus she had a little trouble finding people to compete with). She makes us call he "Coach" or "Ma'am" and if we forget we have to drop and give her twenty push-ups. A professional boxer trains at our gym and she's just awe inspiring too. I love being around so many strong, confident women.

I have sparred. It is a very strange feeling... I remember the first time I got hit. I just stood there, dazed. I couldn't believe SOMEONE HAD JUST HIT ME!!!!! The dazed feeling eventually went away (meanwhile my sparring partner got in about five more good punches) and I got in a few punches of my own. Also, the the footwork I had been learning finally sunk in and I suddenly became very hard to hit. Coach complemented me on my footwork later on and I said, "Coach, I just don't want to get hit." She smiled and said, "That is half the battle."

Unfortuonetely, the gym is a pretty small deal. I haven't gone for awhile because all of the classes conflict with my summer school courses (I'm getting certified to teach high school). I just ordered the Tai-Bo tapes so I can stay in shape until my schedule smoothes back out.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 1999

I took Tae Kwon Do for two years when I was in college. It was a mixed experience. I had a lot of fun doing the drills and the katas, and gradually improving my stances and form. But I hated sparring. They never really taught us how to spar, and instead just paired us up and told us to go at it. I was a meek little thing, and was mainly obsessed with keeping my distance so as not to get hurt. I really wanted a sign to hang around my neck that said, "Not in the face!"

I tried Aikido for a semester or so, and liked it, but academics got in the way at that point and I dropped it. I'm currently studying a Japanese sword art, which is fun, but I'd like to get back into something a little more physical. My gym offers Cardio Boxing classes, and I went to an introductory one and had a great time. (I imagine it's kind of like Tae Bo -- lots of punches, kicks, squats, and jumping jacks.) Unfortunately, I'll only be at this gym for another two months before I move to Seattle, so I'm hoping to find something out there, maybe kickboxing or karate. I'd love to get over my fear of being punched in the face.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 1999