Four years and lessons learned

[Big Don]

Tonight 5-4-09 was the anniversary of the first time I sparred. I had attended one group class the Thursday before.
Aside from the obvious, basics, and techniques and sets and forms (oh my!) what have I learned? The 2 min quick and dirty, off the top of my head list:

• Don't look down
• Never, EVER, hit anyone harder than you want to be hit
• Pay attention
• Just because he/she is old/young, short/tall, skinny/fat does NOT mean they can't (and won't) kick my ***
• Two things are going to happen at sparring, I am going to get hit, it is going to hurt
• The people who kick my *** on a regular basis are better friends than the guys at work
• When someone hits you just right, your eye WILL get split JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES
• Aside from the above, almost everything else in movies is BS

There is so, so much more, but, for now, that's a start

 

[seasoned]

Good job, Big Don. How about.....

. Lets just go light
. It's a lower belt, so you can take it easy.
. If you fight with a female, they don't hit hard.

Big mistake.

 

[Big Don]

One of my sifu's son's students is a 12 year old First Brown Belt. The first time I sparred him, I was a 32 yr old Orange Belt and he was an 9 year old Blue Belt, and that kid was way, way faster and meaner than me...

 

[K-man]

One of my sifu's son's students is a 12 year old First Brown Belt. The first time I sparred him, I was a 32 yr old Orange Belt and he was an 9 year old Blue Belt, and that kid was way, way faster and meaner than me...

... and he's going to get bigger, faster and meaner as he gets older! :rofl: