Student striking with far too much power

[Zenjael]

Hi there, we have a new member of the club, and I am curious toward your suggestions of how I may go about teaching him to control the amount of power he is putting behind his techniques.


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4829909231166

This is a video of when I first sparred with him, on first contact. He and I had never met each other before, and I must couch that my role in this was as the leading instructor for the group. I was not trying to go hard, merely to use deliberate mistakes on my part, and watching out for theirs, as a teaching tool to help them become better. I am in the black, he the white.

How can I help this person with gaining control, so I may allow them to practice in a contact pretext, with others of our group?

I feel more target practice might help.

 

[aaradia]

Your link isn't working for me.

Simply telling him to use less power didn't work?

 

[Zenjael]

No. In fact, during target practice while we trained combinations, one-two cross punches he hit the first target, then me square in the face. A week after this video was taken. I held the targets above each of my shoulders, six inches in front of my body. He socked me hard enough I had to go wash my mouth until I stopped spitting blood. Whats bothered me is that during that rotational drill, I had a feeling it might happen. Couldn't place why, but it was there. Then it happened.

I've banned him from sparring, and even target practice.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Post of vid.

 

[rframe]

Explain that he needs to go lightly until he can gain control to stop his punches. A few graceful reminders, then either tell him to leave until he can walk onto the mat with some self control and respect..... or if you want to be hard, have him work only with advanced belts who can avoid his strikes and tell him that he will be hit as hard as he is hitting. Crack him in the face a few times and he might chill. Inexperienced adult males tend to lack any control but still want to go hard for the fun and testosterone of it, but dont realize how easily they could get hurt or hurt someone else until they learn much better control. This is a liability I would not allow to continue.

 

[Zenjael]

I concur. I was originally sanctioning him to only practice with either myself, or a member we named blanco because he is 6 foot 6, and 300 pounds of muscle, and patient. Since we are a club and not a dojo, this is why I have since banned him from contact practice since he made me spit blood.

I don't mind that kind of stuff personally, but lawsuits are a problem in America for martial arts, and I'm not going to let my club get closed because a member is too uppity.

 

[Blindside]

I don't mind that kind of stuff personally, but lawsuits are a problem in America for martial arts, and I'm not going to let my club get closed because a member is too uppity.

Uppity, or simply doesn't have control? I have a student who is a big guy and not terribly coordinated, he has developed a lighter touch but it has taken a long while to do so. It isn't a malicious thing, he just naturally hits hard. On the plus side, on the sparring floor he will really test that defense with his reach and his power. That is a good reality check if you are too used to patty cake sparring.

 

[Stmck6]

I could not view you video, but I am going to assume that this person is an adult.
it amazes me that after speaking to an adult that they cannot figure this out.
The potential for injury seems extremely high.
i have had a few students that have acted similar to this, but have always figured things out after a talking to.
i guess there are always going to be one or two students who feel that they always have to strike with full power. The tough reality of it, is an innocent person (you, in this case) is always the one to get injured by these loose cannons.
good luck with him.

Hi there, we have a new member of the club, and I am curious toward your suggestions of how I may go about teaching him to control the amount of power he is putting behind his techniques.


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4829909231166

This is a video of when I first sparred with him, on first contact. He and I had never met each other before, and I must couch that my role in this was as the leading instructor for the group. I was not trying to go hard, merely to use deliberate mistakes on my part, and watching out for theirs, as a teaching tool to help them become better. I am in the black, he the white.

How can I help this person with gaining control, so I may allow them to practice in a contact pretext, with others of our group?

I feel more target practice might help.

 

[Prostar]

It always seemed like it was ten extra points for tagging the instructor. It sounds like the student got you intentionally. I must admit. to having put two students through walls. They came hard and I turned it up a bit. One of them came in with wallboard and fixed the hole after apologizing. I'm not suggesting that anyone engage in remodeling of the classroom but certain circumstances work better with a hands on approach. I have had to limit who certain students squared off with till they eventually got the point. Upper belt students really enjoy the challenge of learning how to not go too hard on such a student, but still make the point. The instructor just has to set up the parameters clearly with both parties.

 

[Cyriacus]

Id suggest you talk to him about it, dont just tell him what to do. Or, optionally, direct him to one of the many gyms or clubs in your local area where hard hitting is okay. That way youre helping him, and getting him out of your club.

 

[RTKDCMB]

No. In fact, during target practice while we trained combinations, one-two cross punches he hit the first target, then me square in the face. A week after this video was taken. I held the targets above each of my shoulders, six inches in front of my body. He socked me hard enough I had to go wash my mouth until I stopped spitting blood. Whats bothered me is that during that rotational drill, I had a feeling it might happen. Couldn't place why, but it was there. Then it happened.

I've banned him from sparring, and even target practice.

Without being able to view the video I can't be 100% sure but from what you said it seems that this is more of a control, respect and accuracy problem more than a too much power problem. It helps when you are holding the focus mitts to be in a back stance so that you are ready to move at any time to avoid getting hit. You need to take him aside and explain to him that you are both there to learn and not harm each other. If he is not willing to improve then tell him he will have to leave and see if that smartens him up a bit. If he insist on trying to play tag the instructor then there is nothing wrong with giving him a bit of a face or rib massage to help him learn.

 

[enthusiast]

Since we are a club and not a dojo, this is why I have since banned him from contact practice since he made me spit blood.

what's the difference between a club and a dojo? you mean you don't teach them, you teach each other?or sth?just curious

 

[DennisBreene]

Without being able to view the video I can't be 100% sure but from what you said it seems that this is more of a control, respect and accuracy problem more than a too much power problem. It helps when you are holding the focus mitts to be in a back stance so that you are ready to move at any time to avoid getting hit. You need to take him aside and explain to him that you are both there to learn and not harm each other. If he is not willing to improve then tell him he will have to leave and see if that smartens him up a bit. If he insist on trying to play tag the instructor then there is nothing wrong with giving him a bit of a face or rib massage to help him learn.

I think that if you have to return the favor, so to speak, and physically injure the man to get your message across, it is already a lost cause. If he doesn't respond to verbal coaching with a real attempt to restrain his behaviour, you are only inviting further opportunities for someone to get seriously injured.

 

[Cyriacus]

I think that if you have to return the favor, so to speak, and physically injure the man to get your message across, it is already a lost cause. If he doesn't respond to verbal coaching with a real attempt to restrain his behaviour, you are only inviting further opportunities for someone to get seriously injured.

Plus, its rather egotistic to turn it into a match of demonstrating whos better. And if the student decides this is a real fight (you know, because it may be viewed as an attack if its unannounced without warning moments before), and beats the instructors head against the ground a few times in an adrenalin fuelled episode while the instructor still thinks hes the one teaching a lesson, theres legal problems for the student. We dont want that.

 

[Cyriacus]

Couple of questions. He hit you, right?

What kind of exercise were you doing? Was contact allowed? Is the complaint that he was allowed to hit you, but he wasnt allowed to hit you like that, or was the complaint that he wasnt allowed to hit you but he hit you anyway? Because if he was allowed to hit you, that sorta comes with the territory of being hit. And if youre meant to hit with less force, try reducing the overall speed of the exercise. To clarify, he hit you when you have him an opportunity to (or so you presume). Thats good, yeah? So the issue you take to that is how hard he hit you. Some people hit hard. Its that simple. The solution is to reduce speed.

Or i guess you could condition him to not use the power he has, and half-do things instead. Your club, your call.

 

[DennisBreene]

Plus, its rather egotistic to turn it into a match of demonstrating whos better. And if the student decides this is a real fight (you know, because it may be viewed as an attack if its unannounced without warning moments before), and beats the instructors head against the ground a few times in an adrenalin fuelled episode while the instructor still thinks hes the one teaching a lesson, theres legal problems for the student. We dont want that.

I think I detect a note of sarcasm there.

Couple of questions. He hit you, right?

What kind of exercise were you doing? Was contact allowed? Is the complaint that he was allowed to hit you, but he wasnt allowed to hit you like that, or was the complaint that he wasnt allowed to hit you but he hit you anyway? Because if he was allowed to hit you, that sorta comes with the territory of being hit. And if youre meant to hit with less force, try reducing the overall speed of the exercise. To clarify, he hit you when you have him an opportunity to (or so you presume). Thats good, yeah? So the issue you take to that is how hard he hit you. Some people hit hard. Its that simple. The solution is to reduce speed.

Or i guess you could condition him to not use the power he has, and half-do things instead. Your club, your call.

I agree with the suggestion to reduce speed. But all training, including contact training, has certain parameters for the level of contact and force (unless you're maintaining that all training is the equivelent of a full contact, sanctioned match). If the individual in question, consistantly disregards these training parameters, and will not make an effort to "reign it in" he needs to go play with the grown ups. The full contact pugilists can determine if he is out of control or just more capable and skilled in a venue where he has people of comparable views with regards to the level of force that is acceptable in practice sessions.

 

[Cyriacus]

I think I detect a note of sarcasm there.

I agree with the suggestion to reduce speed. But all training, including contact training, has certain parameters for the level of contact and force (unless you're maintaining that all training is the equivelent of a full contact, sanctioned match). If the individual in question, consistantly disregards these training parameters, and will not make an effort to "reign it in" he needs to go play with the grown ups. The full contact pugilists can determine if he is out of control or just more capable and skilled in a venue where he has people of comparable views with regards to the level of force that is acceptable in practice sessions.

Well, some sarcasm.

Im mostly speaking from the perspective that sometimes youre hitting hard when you GENUINELY feel like youre going lightly. I suggest going slow just to get used to a different pace. Most people, when you tell them to go slow, will go at the same speed, but theyll relax. As weird as that sounds, ive yet to see it fail.

 

[DennisBreene]

Well, some sarcasm.

Im mostly speaking from the perspective that sometimes youre hitting hard when you GENUINELY feel like youre going lightly. I suggest going slow just to get used to a different pace. Most people, when you tell them to go slow, will go at the same speed, but theyll relax. As weird as that sounds, ive yet to see it fail.

I agree. It was what I needed to do to meter down the hard style Tang Soo Do when I started studying Arnis. Too much speed and power was hindering my precision and control. I still have to consciously pull back in order to relax and gain fluidity. The problem lies in the student who won't or can't throttle down. It hinders their training and makes them dangerous. The instructors challenge is in finding an effective way to help the student achieve that relaxation.

 

[martial sparrer]

sounds like he is doing it on purpose.....I say tell him to stop and that yu feel he is doing it on purpose....if you agree with me......you may need to ask him to leave.....he is not a two year old child.....my son smashes me in the mouth when we play....he doesn't know his strength...if you feel like being nurturing with him what about touch sparring

 

[martial sparrer]

dennis....like your signature quote in the reddish colour....going to use it for a spiritual journal today with my students....