Having a tough time with getting hit. Advice?

[matt.m]

Sounds to me like it is "Hotshot teenage boy syndrom." I am 31 and in good shape. However, I wear two leg braces and up until February I had worn a back brace and walked with a cane as well for over a year. I still have the leg braces and will have them until knee replacement.

Now, I study Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido both. We do kicking drills where one partner holds the big target bag and backs up while the other is kicking. Everyone knows it is cool to kick the bag solid if I am holding it, however no "I am Thor God of Thunder" Kicking.

We had a visitor from another school one night, I got partnered with him and this guy just would not let up. I asked him three times to lighten up on his power. The first two times he ignored me. The third time he told me to suck it up.

The guy was some early 20 something P.T. stud so I gave him a front leg upraising kick to the chin followed by a stomp kick to the midsection.

That ended the power kicking. I hated tough guys like that in the Marine Corps, and to some I was probably that guy a few times.

Hey, you are not a wimp. Not at all, just train and stay in shape. It sounds to me that you are making great strides in that already.

 

[Carol]

Awesome story, Matt. I had leg braces when I was a kid, I can relate quite a bit. Best of luck to you and I hope it all goes well.

We had a visitor from another school one night, I got partnered with him and this guy just would not let up. I asked him three times to lighten up on his power. The first two times he ignored me. The third time he told me to suck it up.

That's a concern of mine. My instructor has often chided me for pushing myself too far and collapsing or passing out. Like everyone else, I do have limits. I know my instructors respect them, and many of the adults do too. Unfortunately I'm a bit horrified at the number of people that I have come across (online and on the mat) that have not trusted me when I say that I need to stop, or that I'm unable to do something. I don't make that stuff up.

Thanks a lot for sharing your input