Memorable Classes

I had a very similar experience with one of my early instructors when I was a red belt. He's a very big guy and very imposing. Not necessarily tall, but big... lot's of presence. He used to be the only person I never seemed to be able to score any kind of hits on. What made it even harder to hit this guy was the fact that he would just take a stance and not move. Then, when you started trying to advance, he'd just put on this huge grin and say something like, "sure you want to be there? You're in my range." ( drove me insane.)

Well after sparring one night he told me something. "You're a red belt now. You should throw everybody that stands accross from you on every sparring night to help them learn.. everybody. He wouldn't even allow me the slightest whine about not being as good as the bb's.

Next sparing class comes and I'm determined to try. I actually do throw everyone in the class,,, until I come to HIM. There he stands grinning. No attacks to counter; he's making me attack. So, finally I just stand off with him. I watch until he makes the slightest flinch and I just blast in for a throw. Head tucked into my shoulder, left hand high cover, right hand low, and eyes completely closed expecting to get knockedTFO. To my surprise, he doesn't give me a kick to throw him with but that lead left hand connects right on the chin... perfect. He takes two steps back, feels his jaw and regains his composure. AND, his grin turns into a full ear to ear smile. "GOOOD ONE!, LET'S GO!"

I bow and say so sorry sir. He says, "Why? For What? It's all good" So I get back in stance and so does he. Now, out of nowhere this really large man moves instead of being that mountain. He jumps in the air and does a scissor takedown on me. Not the nice one leg behind and hold on and drag the opponent to the ground. He slammed his right leg into my gut and swept my feet with his left. We hit the groud with a thud so loud the entire class stopped sparring and looked our way. I barely avoided having the wind knocked out of me but man it hurt.... and I survived. He helps me up and whispers quietly, "that's for the jaw." I say "Yes sir." After that, it was fun. It was ALL GOOD. Definately no better way to bond with an instructor than a good kick in the face.

And I've never been afraid to spar anyone since. I don't say I am better than everyone, but I've just never been afraid since. I didn't always win an encounter or sparring match,,, but I always left my opponent with something to remember me by.

i think i'm gonna try incorporating that immovable kind of mentality to my sparring. i think that's the thing that makes my instructor so hard to spar with. when you throw a big technique, you expect anyone to move to avoid it, but he prefers to move in before you execute the technique or block it straight on. but it's matches like friday's that give me a new appreciation for the art and for constant development.

That's one huge key technique in Hapkido. If you're moving, you have to stop and then move wherever you're planning to attack/counter-attack. If you're still, you save a step. You're muslces have 2 states: contracted and relaxed. If you're using a muscle you have to stop and then redirect it. If you're still and calm you only have to move.

I have had some pretty nice things happen along my journey. I am not sure I can pick out THE most memorable. However I do remember back in the mid 80s when I trained with Gen. Choi for the first time. When I came back everyone asked me, well how did it go? What did you learn?
I answered I learned that I didn't know anything about TKD. Thats how good that 1st training experience with him was.

i never got to train with General Choi.

My most memorable moment was back in 1998. It had been a month since I had made the request to Gwanjanim that our class should focus on self defense. That month our class had done endless self defense techniques drills, and "street wise" scenarios on what to do in case so&so occurred.

It was the end of class and a group of us were fooling around while we chatted about the nights events. When my younger brother decided he would attack me out of nowhere.

I was talking to out group, he was stranding in front of me at arms length, he reache out with both hands, whether is was to shove me, grab my neck, to this day I don't know, all I saw were is elbows bending, his arms reaching.

I was in a neutral stance, feet soldier with apart. When I saw the attack, my right leg slid back, so that I would be in a walking stance. As I reacted with an double outside block with my hands open. i remember bending my wrists, to trap his arms with my hands. I then proceeded with a front snap kick to his groin, use my brothers arms as railroad tracks, I slide my hands all the way up to his neck in a double chop to his throat. Followed by a thai clinch to his neck, using the momentum from the groin kick, I ended with bring his head down into my right knee.

Luckily for us both, he had been wearing a very thick top of the line groin cup. And somehow I came to my senses and managed to stop short before his head collided with my knee.

It was an amazing moment for me. I had acted without thinking and without feeling. With a technique completely made up on the spur of the moment.

My brother of course was in complete shock and upset about the light groin kick and double chop to the throat. And I can only imagine how wide his eyes were he saw my knee rising to intercept with his face and me stopping just short of contact.

This is my most memorable moment in TKD, not because of the kick, or the comedy aspect. It was the feeling of confidence I felt.

I love those things. I have had similar experiences. And, for some reason, the technique that I used in said cases were ones that, if you had asked me, I would have told you I didn't like/prefer/reccomend that technique. But it was what I had so I just did it automatically.

I had a freind come at me once (I was around 2nd dan) and just start throwing play punches at me telling me to show him something. I didn't want to hurt him so I just kept saying no and back pedalling while slapping his hands away. I was trying to think "what should I do? this or that? etc. but nothing came to me. Finally, something changed. His attack changed from playful to "I'm going to hit you now". The look in his eyes, his intent changed. With just that, and without thinking my right foot slipped back, my right hand did an outside open block and trapped his hand. My left came up to the outside of his elbow and then before I even knew what I was doing, he was flat on his face on the carpet. I had his wrist and elbow locked and torqued and my knee firmly down on his shoulder.

It was awesome! His wife in the room laughing hysterically at the postition he got himself in. And I just had this amazed look on my face and in my mind. How did I just do that? Simple, it became real for a split second, and I stopped thinking and just executed.

And I was very happy that I didn't give hime too much and hurt him. (nothing but his pride, but we're close friends)