Did I handle This The Right Way?

[Msby]

Hi MT, I'm just a student looking for some advice about an incident from yesterday.
I went to a friend's house for a halloween party and one of my good friends (Friend 1) tells me there's another TKD guy here (I have a martial arts club at my school, so my friends know I like to meet people from other MA schools to compare tech.) So things are going good, I met another TKD practitioner, and we're comparing our methods. (in a very friendly way I might add)

So after awhile we kinda disperse and start mingling in the party again. Friend 1 sneaks up on me and starts doing friendly joke punches at my stomach. It's like our inside joke to do that to each other as a reflex test, and one of my other friends joins in just for laughs. So TKD Guy comes up and I think he's going to do the same thing. And here's where I was stupid and let my guard down. Basically I took a full on forward stance/reverse punch to the stomach. I get the wind knocked out of me and I'm standing there asking him "What exactly is your problem?!" Turns out though that I wasn't making any noise cause I had no breath.

When I finally did regain the ability to talk I decided against confronting him about what happened to avoid making a scene at my friend's house cause she went through a LOT of trouble to arrange her party. I kept a VERY watchful eye on him though.

What say you MT?
PS: I'm okay, the only thing hurt is my pride...

 

[Allen a.k.a. Destroyer]

First off, I think you handled it well enough... not causing a scene is all well and good, kudos for that... but... I would track down and spar with this guy. Just because. Just be sure you do it under supervision. But maybe that's just me. Remember him if you go to any of the same tournaments.

Secondly, never let your guard down... Especially when someone you don't know that well comes up to pop you in the chest. Especially when you at least know he studies. Especially when you have no idea how much control he has. But most especially... Never let your guard down.

You recognized that mistake.
Now you know... and knowing is half the battle! G.I. Joooooooe! :lol: I kid.

It's a favorite tactic of mine to knock the wind out of people with a controlled shovel hook or straight punch when they start getting cocky or lazy with their guard in sparring. Very demoralizing.

Not saying you should go and pick a fight, but... lol
But, you did well handling the hit at the party.

 

[Msby]

Thanks Allen, I feel a bit better. :wavey:
Although I forgot to add how I DID react later... And maybe you should give your judgement from this...

A little after he hit me, I saw him sneaking up on people and doing running tackles/bearhugs to them which would knock them over and I thought to myself "I hope he doesn't try that on me..."

So when he inevitably did try to do that, I used move 14 from Taegeuk 7 (dunno the formal name) to simultaneously block his grab/knock him onto his back.

I kinda laughed it off, and that was that.

I'd say we're even. And now I'm going to avoid this guy like the plague.

 

[Carol]

I think you handled that very well Msby. Props to you for not letting your emotions get out of control :asian:

 

[Allen a.k.a. Destroyer]

:lol: Good call. :asian: I hate when people like that play around too much. It's not safe for them... if you know what I mean. :uhyeah:

Still, keep an eye out for him in any area tournaments. First strikes are important, action is faster than reaction, demoralization issues and all that. And even with a little too much playing around at a party, he might still make for decent sparring practice. Just do it under supervision.
:bangahead:

 

[Haze]

You handled it fine.

The only thing I suggest is not to test techniques at a party or any public place for that matter.

 

[Gordon Nore]

The only thing I suggest is not to test techniques at a party or any public place for that matter.

QFT. Especially at a party. I presume people have been drinking. People lose their inhibitions. Guys tend to show off a bit. Glad you're none the worse for wear.

 

[Msby]

Thanks for your advice everyone. :asian:

I understand if you guys don't believe me, but there was no drinking. I think that's just the way this guy was.

I think I made it sound like we were doing sparring techniques. That would just be asking for trouble. We were actually practicing with a few guys who are dancers/bboys. I understand how some people feel about flash, but a couple of the jump/spin kicks are transferable into Bboying, and I must say it's quite fun.

That being said, maybe I should keep "Tricking" with only my close friends.

PS: If it helps with the visualization, my costume was a Cobra Kai student :lol:

 

[zDom]

My advice is: never play around with your friends in this way in a public and/or social situation with strangers around.

It attracts trouble.

At home, only your buddies around? I guess there's no harm.

But around people you don't know, you are ASKING for something like you described to happen — or worse.

 

[Omar B]

You handle it cool. But I will say NEVER PLAY FIGHT! No matter who it is, where it is or the circumstances, that stuff is for the dojo, tournament or self defense.

I had a similar situation with this guy training in MMA doing fake punches at me because he knew I did karate. I just sat on the couch and looked at him like he's an idiot ... and he was, acting all physical when we were hanging out watching football with the buds.

 

[MBuzzy]

Personally, I have never liked it when people did that. Joking or not. There is a time and place and it is in class. Even then, it isn't a joke or horsing around, it is class. This stuff should be used to defend yourself, not to joke around with buddies.

The reason I don't like it primarily is that people don't know the limits. For one, they dont know their own in most cases, two they don't know yours. Just a few weeks ago, there was a kid in my office with all of a month of arnis training screwing around with some sticks and almost took off two people's heads because he was trying to show off/test someone else that was holding a set.

 

[Msby]

Personally, I have never liked it when people did that. Joking or not. There is a time and place and it is in class. Even then, it isn't a joke or horsing around, it is class. This stuff should be used to defend yourself, not to joke around with buddies.

The reason I don't like it primarily is that people don't know the limits. For one, they dont know their own in most cases, two they don't know yours. Just a few weeks ago, there was a kid in my office with all of a month of arnis training screwing around with some sticks and almost took off two people's heads because he was trying to show off/test someone else that was holding a set.

zDom, Omar B and Mbuzzy, I'll keep this in mind from now on. I gotta be more careful... :asian:

I would like to note though that "Friend 1" is not another MAist from my dojang but is instead a girl who is quite a bit shorter than me. If anything, our exchange looked like a brother and sister just messing around. Dunno if that's relevant or not.

 

[Phoenix44]

You handled it well, after the fact, but I think the problem is this:

Friend 1 sneaks up on me and starts doing friendly joke punches at my stomach. It's like our inside joke to do that to each other as a reflex test, and one of my other friends joins in just for laughs.

 

[stone_dragone]

Just my .02

I agree that you handled the aftermath and skinned up pride well. Kudos.

I have made it my personal practice to not share demonstrateable (is that even a word?) techniques in a social setting with anyone but my close inner circle of friends (not that I have many circles...I don't want to look like an Iowa corn field...) First off, it does get a bit more difficult to control when you eventually add internal Lubricant (beverages), and secondly (and vastly more important) it sets you up psychologically to slowly de-condition your own responses to such real attacks.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I wouldn't say that anything that happened was "your fault." But this other taekwondo guy was obviously happy for the opportunity to show off. Your only mistake was providing one. You gave him a context for showing off, where if he'd just begun carrying on like that without any context, he'd just have been regarded as kind of an idiot. But you and your friends set the stage and he took the lead role.

Again, not exactly your fault. But it's a logical enough consequence. Ya know?


Stuart

 

[Guardian]

You handled yourself well during the party and did not disturb your friends party. Now that it's over, I would go find this person and ask what his problem is, ok maybe it's not the most adult way, but I don't let anyone take a cheap shot without at least finding out why.

 

[ATC]

You handled yourself well during the party and did not disturb your friends party. Now that it's over, I would go find this person and ask what his problem is, ok maybe it's not the most adult way, but I don't let anyone take a cheap shot without at least finding out why.

Or he could go ask him if he wants to go a few rounds. Tell him light contact and no head contact at all. Then blast him in the head, say my bad then say "oops I forgot I have to do something", then leave. Or not. Just kidding by the way, don't do that.