Slugger

Thanks for all of the advice. As much as I love karate, I agree with the majority here and have quit the club. (Didn't have the nerve to discuss it with the instructor). This is a problem that wouldn't have gone away and really represents the whole tone of the club: too much pride. But the end result is that it's my loss not theirs. One student more or less doesn't really make much difference to them. I've given up a sport that I found highly rewarding. There's only two clubs in my town, I may try the other in time, once the bad taste is gone a bit. Thanks again to everyone.

I'm interested in the feedback from the instructors in this forum about a sparring situation. I am a yellow belt and have about 6 months experience with my current school and have attended 2 sparring classes. I had taken karate over 20 years ago but had to stop when I started having a family. I had quit at a green belt level but did nothing for 20 years. In my second sparring class with this club, I was matched against a third dan black belt, and co-owner of the school. We started fine, then the black belt received instruction from the man who was running the sparring class. Since it was her and not me who received instruction, I think she was a bit humiliated. Anyway, next thing you know, we both connected with a punch to the nose area. I know the punch I received was hard enough to make my eyes water, I'm sure I connected equally. It was an error for which I apologized profusely. The black belt began walking back and forth in apparent fury, without apologizing for hitting me by the way, and demanded I do pushups. I asked how many, and she replied just begin and keep going until I tell you to stop, and that I should NEVER hit a black belt. I again apologized and did the push ups while the whole class stopped what they were doing and watched. For the rest of the class I did defense only, afraid to hit anyone. I again approached the black belt after class and apologized again, she never once said anything about hitting me. Now I don't want to go to class at all. I'm afraid that she felt I had done it on purpose or was displaying attitude. It was just a mistake. What do I do now? I'm appalled that this instructor lost her cool at all and didn't seem to take my apology seriously. I'm afraid that I will be 'made an example of' because of my mistake. How can I respect someone who doesn't accept a sincere apology? Why was I made to be the bad guy over a mutual error? It didn't occur to me that she hit me deliberately.