was the instructor trying injure me?

[JR 137]

Those are important points. New students should be taught everything that has to do with training, especially holding pads or assisting anyone in anything. These things should be taught with the same care and detail as anything else - rules, principles, techniques, whatever.

I also believe students should be taught to help and support each other, to lift each other up, to have each other's back.

And sparring....I'm always the first person each and every one of my students spars with. I want to show them the rules and make sure they know them. I want to show them the difference in power with every technique, the etiquettes involved, the differences between bag work, air work, shield work and sparring.

If we don't show them ourselves, who's going to show them? Other white belts?

I think some instructors think they’ll just figure it out on their own, unfortunately. Holding pads isn’t rocket science, but I’ve seen white belts hold them for advanced ranks who weren’t exactly holding much back. And it was never good. And you typically don’t want the smallest guy holding the pads for the heaviest hitters either. I was at my former teacher’s dojo a little over a year ago for a seminar. We were working on punching and somehow I ended up paired with a 90 lb woman. I was taking it easy, but she still struggled a bit. I looked at the guy running it and he looked at me and immediately paired me up with a few people my size. Problem solved. That’s how it’s supposed to work. You really don’t get much out of hitting pads when the holder has no clue or just physically shouldn’t be holding them for you. And the holder gets less out of it.

But yeah... expect a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. Battle wounds every now and then are a good thing.

 

[JP3]

I think some instructors think they’ll just figure it out on their own, unfortunately. Holding pads isn’t rocket science, but I’ve seen white belts hold them for advanced ranks who weren’t exactly holding much back. And it was never good. And you typically don’t want the smallest guy holding the pads for the heaviest hitters either. I was at my former teacher’s dojo a little over a year ago for a seminar. We were working on punching and somehow I ended up paired with a 90 lb woman. I was taking it easy, but she still struggled a bit. I looked at the guy running it and he looked at me and immediately paired me up with a few people my size. Problem solved. That’s how it’s supposed to work. You really don’t get much out of hitting pads when the holder has no clue or just physically shouldn’t be holding them for you. And the holder gets less out of it.

But yeah... expect a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. Battle wounds every now and then are a good thing.

Battle wounds, or training stress, damage and injuries are part and parcel of the training, wouldn't you guys/gals all say? I think that maybe the usual discussion about what is expected of the student, and the similar lecture about what is expected to happen TO the student in the O/P … went missing. Maybe that's why the disconnect in the perception?

 

[Flying Crane]

Battle wounds, or training stress, damage and injuries are part and parcel of the training, wouldn't you guys/gals all say? I think that maybe the usual discussion about what is expected of the student, and the similar lecture about what is expected to happen TO the student in the O/P … went missing. Maybe that's why the disconnect in the perception?

Yeah, kinda, and within reason.

But the old stories of “the night ain’t over until there is blood on the floor” is stupid, plain and simple. There is nothing intelligent about that approach to training.

 

[JP3]

Yeah, kinda, and within reason.

But the old stories of “the night ain’t over until there is blood on the floor” is stupid, plain and simple. There is nothing intelligent about that approach to training.

 

[JP3]

Yep. I hardly ever have blood on the floor when we leave class anymore.

As a matter of fact, the last time we did... it was mine.

I was working through an application of one of the kata techniques off of a wrist grab, so that the female students in class could actually visualize the... bridge? I guess I'll call it a bridge between the principle-based practice of technique vs. an application of such technique in a fast, high-power SD situation. Long story short (the long version is hilarious) I got the concept in her head, told her I was coming to take her lunch money and she wasn't going to do a damn thing about it if she didn't eexecute the technique right .. and I dropped on her like a house with tentacles....

… and she threw me into a nearby wall... face-first. It was awesome! Split the skin ofmy nose right down the middle of the bridge, vertically. Super cool, actually. I didn't even feel the skin split... though I certainly felt the wall. They had to tell me.

 

[Danny T]

finding out now i prefer bjj to mt. i find the people in bjj more reserve and peaceful than MT crowd. bjj also more safer. might end up doing judo at rec centre. way cheaper than these mma schools.
i got big bruise on back of my forearm. next time going pick a smaller person as partner. i got few more weeks and my contract is fiished

I hate to break it to you, but you will get bruised in BJJ as well.

If BJJ is more reserve and peaceful I'm doing something wrong.
Have had more black eyes, sorer ribs and shoulders, and cuts on my face than I've every had from Muay Thai.

 

[Buka]

I don't like "blood on the floor" dojos. But I must admit that having visited a few as a young Karateka, totally by accident mind you, that I am a better Martial Artist, a better teacher, and quite frankly a better man for it. Please don't mistake any of that for me approving of this kind of dojo, for I honestly do not. I think my experiences were more representative of a particular time in America's martial history than anything else.

I want to get back to this later. E-mailed a long time Mrtial buddy for the names and stats involved because I forget them. He wants me to call him because he says it's way too long to write back. I could almost hear him laughing through his e-mail.

 

[drop bear]

Yep. I hardly ever have blood on the floor when we leave class anymore.

As a matter of fact, the last time we did... it was mine.

I was working through an application of one of the kata techniques off of a wrist grab, so that the female students in class could actually visualize the... bridge? I guess I'll call it a bridge between the principle-based practice of technique vs. an application of such technique in a fast, high-power SD situation. Long story short (the long version is hilarious) I got the concept in her head, told her I was coming to take her lunch money and she wasn't going to do a damn thing about it if she didn't eexecute the technique right .. and I dropped on her like a house with tentacles....

… and she threw me into a nearby wall... face-first. It was awesome! Split the skin ofmy nose right down the middle of the bridge, vertically. Super cool, actually. I didn't even feel the skin split... though I certainly felt the wall. They had to tell me.

Last time for us was Saturday.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

like a house with tentacles....

I don’t have any idea what that means, but it’s my new favorite phrase.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Last time for us was Saturday.

The last time I had actual blood in the floor was mine, too. Years ago, I decided to go to class a few hours after giving blood. It turns out those IV needle sites need more time to heal.

 

[Buka]

To me “blood on the floor” dojo’s are not literal. Any place that has contact fighting is going to have some blood, because it”s contact fighting. Duh.

The term, as least as we used the concept on the East coast, was more of an attitude that a few dojo’s had. Some of which boarded on criminal. Unsurprising, at least to me, some of the people involved in running them are still in prison. Or dead.

 

[kickboxingtalk]

Hi,

It’s part and parcel of body conditioning. Plus helps to deal with the ‘shock’ of getting hurt as with most martial arts it’s to be expected.

Best Regards
Jay