Has anyone else felt weird about hitting people

[crysis]

i like hitting people. i dont like getting hit. i just dont hit hard. i make contact for reaction, but rarely will it hurt my partner.

 

[bluemtn]

I have the problem in doing certain SD techniques. Someone in class keeps telling me it's ok to hit a little more than just a light tap. It's just hard for me, because for one- never could hit good unless I was upset/ mad, and two- they're my "classmate", and I don't want to do any damage (like I forget how much force to actually put in without getting kicked out).

 

[mantis]

i felt happy hitting a guy with a stick last year
it was very comforting!
my coworkers bowed to me everyday after that too

 

[Carol]

I've been training for a little over six months. I've slowly been able to get over the weird feeling, but not completely.

At my yellow belt graduation, I had to perform three techniques (my choice). He told us that he expected us to hit him. I trust my instructor, and I respect him. But, I chose a technique that involves a handsword to the throat. I felt sick landing the blow. Even though all of my instructors congratulated me on my execution, the sound and the feel of that hit still rattles me a bit.

 

[Odin]

you know when I first started muay thai my kru would ask me to hit him or hit him harder then I was already doing so but i was like 'nah man i wont to your a mate,I dont want to rbuise your face ,plus I've seen your girlfriend she'll kill me!'' I got over it though....still have a distancing problem sometimes though.

 

[Sin]

Just rememmber that you hit as hard as you want to be hit...People are there to train, and you can't train in Martial Arts without getting hot at one point or another...If you truelly huirt someone apoligize, but if you tap them, or graze them and they do not react in pain, then do not. just get re-focused take a deep breath and try again, and try to do better. Keep your focus.

 

[TigerWoman]

What was weird for me as a white belt mother was to hit my children who were red belts. Well, I was a white belt, so didn't get too many in and they were light. But they had no problem clobbering me. The instructor had to rein them back! TW

 

[FearlessFreep]

I seem to have been a little more discomforted by people hitting me then by me hitting them..

 

[beau_safken]

Hmmm I think the most disheartening thing for me was when I had to spar with my instructor. I have a hard time attacking someone that I respect with intent to harm. Yea, Its just for practice but I am just that kinda person. Other people on the other hand, I don't have such hang ups about.

 

[Jagermeister]

Beau, I felt the same way. It's one thing if you're in a real brawl with someone you don't like and don't mind hurting, but with someone you respect, it's quite a mental hurdle to overcome. I just started sparring, and at first with my instructor. I remember reading this thread thinking "Oh, no problem. I don't have a problem hitting anyone. Sparring will be a cinch." As soon as we touched gloves to start, it all changed. All of a sudden, I'm aiming jabs at my instructor's forehead rather than his face and not really trying to land the cross at all. What made it worse was that I took a lot more shots for not being aggressive enough. Hope I snap out of it soon. No fun getting treated like a heavy bag.

 

[Jagermeister]

Actually, I think this sums it up best:

"I like fighting, but I hate hurting people."
-- Tonya Harding on her fledgling boxing career

 

[ufsofpa]

First of all, welcome to martial arts. Ok lets get down to business, hitting is something that happens all the time. Its training. When I started JKD and Combat Sombo, St. Patricks day is 6 years, I had no problem hitting my partners, its called sparring. And it is a vital part of training. Dont say sorry, just keep going. Your should be aware that hitting, even on accident is part of the game. You get hit or you hit him or her, brush it off and continue.

rick

 

[Zarnyk]

I felt the same way when I first started. Overcoming the fear of encrouching on someones personnal space in the effort to further your Martial Arts training is a must. The more you work with a partner, the quicker you will get over this uncomfortable feeling. Good luck!

 

[bushidomartialarts]

funny story:

my dad started training at our school a year ago. he started sparring about six months back.

i can't bring myself to hit him. i've trained a long time and thrown hooks with champion fighters, small children and little old ladies. but i can't bring myself to throw a real punch at my dad.

now he'll wade into me like he's moving with a purpose. we joke that he's been waiting 30 years for the chance.

but for the life of me i can't hit my old man.

 

[Rick Wade]

I only feel weird when they don't react like I want them to.

V/R

Rick

 

[Marvin]

funny story:

my dad started training at our school a year ago. he started sparring about six months back.

i can't bring myself to hit him. i've trained a long time and thrown hooks with champion fighters, small children and little old ladies. but i can't bring myself to throw a real punch at my dad.

now he'll wade into me like he's moving with a purpose. we joke that he's been waiting 30 years for the chance.

but for the life of me i can't hit my old man.

Funny you should say that. My dad has been in the MA since I was 6 or 7, I am now on the backside of my 30's . I have have always been his training dummy. He still teaches Aikido, and helps me teach my guys how to fall. He likes nothing beter to punch me in the head.

 

[whitetiger2001]

I just started training this past week and I find it hard to actually land any blows on people I don't know. I had no problem hitting my husband...want to do that most days anyway...but other people, I felt weird about it.

I keep making a fool out of myself saying "I'm sorry" every time I have to hit someone. I just wanted to know if others have felt this way when they first began. I am also having a problem following the sequences of some blocks and forms but that's a whole 'nother ballgame.

The first time I had to make contact was after my black belt test. Out school wanted to develop control and so contact was a progressive state with black being the majic rank. One of the other students on my test was a former instructer who was going for his second degree. He'd been slow to progress because of his job and his military commitments.
It was during a gaunlet where the first degree canditates had to pass through those going for rank. He rushed me and a palmed him in the ribs. All he coulds say after was "I know you've been waiting for that."
But it did feel weird and that dfeeling does go away once you're used to the idea of hitting without hurting someone.

 

[KenpoSterre]

the only time I felt really weird was when I was hitting someone old enough to be my grandfather in the groin for the first week. Also seeing I was a whitebelt with no control...

 

[Karita]

My first TKD school had an instructor who caused injuries. I left as soon as I realized what was going on and found a school that focused on positive spirit and respect toward our fellow students.

The instructor I had at the time (mid-1990s) emphasized light contact to the point where our students took pride in having control. If you made contact with the dots on the chest protector, (and light touch to the padded helmet) that was good form. You made your point by pointing out openings with a kick or punch. We did not bruise or injure our classmates. If we were well conditioned and stretched adequately, very few students had injuries. We were taught to evade or deflect kicks - never hard on hard blocks because legs are stronger than arms. We worked on a lot of footwork and counter-attacks.

My current instructor looks the other way if students hit or kick each other in places that are unpadded. It really bothers me because that is not the way I was brought up in TKD. I'm used to getting a deflected punch or kick here or there but not full force punches or kicks that are off target. I consider that partner to be out of control and that would be the worst comment you could make about a TKD student.

 

[thewhitemikevick]

It all comes with time. Concentrate. A deeper center of focus will allow you to overcome any psychological blocks you might have that prevent you from training to the extent that you should.