Last night I took two of my students to visit a friends dojo. I went to have conversation and to see how things where going with him and his students, and I wanted my students to see what things where like in a different school, while hopefully learning at the same time. As happens sometimes he had an emergency situation at home and was unable to attend class but had his senior black belts run things in his place.
We where in for a surprise because it seems we arrived for the 2nd day of testing for one of the students, and where graciously allowed not only to observe but where honored by being allowed to participate a little. The student being tested must have been about 14 years old, and was testing for his green belt.
After the normal warm up and exercises where completed work out on the heavy bag was done by all, with the testing student having to due twice the number of techniques as everyone else. In other words if we did 3 strikes he did six, or if we did a 5 or 10 second drill he did a 10 -20 second drill. A very short break was the given the class (bath room and/or water if needed).Sparring followed the break with the testing student being required to spar with all of the dojos students ( there where 6 or 7 of them) for a given amount of time or in some cases a 3 point sparing match. No stikes where allowed to the front of the face and nothing below the belt unless it was a sweep. One of my students was honored by being allowed to spar with the young man, however we made sure my student knew he was only allowed to use his hands and to control all that he did (there was about a hundred pound difference).
Twice during the nights sparring the testing student got kicked hard enough to knock the wind out of him and was given ample time to recover. In fact after the second time he was given a lot of time, as two of the higher ranks got on the floor and spared for some time. Class was finishing up , due to time, and the testing student was asked if he had time to spar with one reaming higher rank. He said yes and walked to the line. All went well till the last technique which was a sweep by the higher rank. The young testing student went down hard hitting the back of his head on the floor. Yes they where wearing pads and head gear. Sweeps and take downs had been allowed during the evening and this one was not vicious or brutal just fast in its execution.
All three of the black belts as well as myself where beside the young man as soon as he hit the floor, to assist him and to evaluate his condition. As soon as we determined that he could sit up and got him to that position and where starting to as question to determine if he had a concussion ( two of us had checked his eyes already) I heard the young mans father say from behind me Get away from him. Havent you done enough ganging up on him 4 or 5 against one. The gentleman repeated the statement while at the same time making it evident that he found the whole of the evening brutal and that he wanted none of us touching his son or helping in any way.
Now the point of this whole story is the father had been sitting a few feet from the practice floor the whole evening watching and listening to all that went on. He had ample time and opportunity to say something to someone during the evening if he thought his child was being victimized and singled out. I do understand a parents concern for a hurt child but I also fell that he should have let those present have a chance to determine if the young man had a concussion or worse injury before he had him get to his feet.
I know none of you reading this where there so I have stated the event as best and true as I can. I would like to here your thoughts Not necessarily similar events but rather your thoughts as a parent, a student, an instructor, a school owner.
We where in for a surprise because it seems we arrived for the 2nd day of testing for one of the students, and where graciously allowed not only to observe but where honored by being allowed to participate a little. The student being tested must have been about 14 years old, and was testing for his green belt.
After the normal warm up and exercises where completed work out on the heavy bag was done by all, with the testing student having to due twice the number of techniques as everyone else. In other words if we did 3 strikes he did six, or if we did a 5 or 10 second drill he did a 10 -20 second drill. A very short break was the given the class (bath room and/or water if needed).Sparring followed the break with the testing student being required to spar with all of the dojos students ( there where 6 or 7 of them) for a given amount of time or in some cases a 3 point sparing match. No stikes where allowed to the front of the face and nothing below the belt unless it was a sweep. One of my students was honored by being allowed to spar with the young man, however we made sure my student knew he was only allowed to use his hands and to control all that he did (there was about a hundred pound difference).
Twice during the nights sparring the testing student got kicked hard enough to knock the wind out of him and was given ample time to recover. In fact after the second time he was given a lot of time, as two of the higher ranks got on the floor and spared for some time. Class was finishing up , due to time, and the testing student was asked if he had time to spar with one reaming higher rank. He said yes and walked to the line. All went well till the last technique which was a sweep by the higher rank. The young testing student went down hard hitting the back of his head on the floor. Yes they where wearing pads and head gear. Sweeps and take downs had been allowed during the evening and this one was not vicious or brutal just fast in its execution.
All three of the black belts as well as myself where beside the young man as soon as he hit the floor, to assist him and to evaluate his condition. As soon as we determined that he could sit up and got him to that position and where starting to as question to determine if he had a concussion ( two of us had checked his eyes already) I heard the young mans father say from behind me Get away from him. Havent you done enough ganging up on him 4 or 5 against one. The gentleman repeated the statement while at the same time making it evident that he found the whole of the evening brutal and that he wanted none of us touching his son or helping in any way.
Now the point of this whole story is the father had been sitting a few feet from the practice floor the whole evening watching and listening to all that went on. He had ample time and opportunity to say something to someone during the evening if he thought his child was being victimized and singled out. I do understand a parents concern for a hurt child but I also fell that he should have let those present have a chance to determine if the young man had a concussion or worse injury before he had him get to his feet.
I know none of you reading this where there so I have stated the event as best and true as I can. I would like to here your thoughts Not necessarily similar events but rather your thoughts as a parent, a student, an instructor, a school owner.
