Slaughtered By Sensei?

[Smitty]

Well he was digging into my cheek with his elbow, and my teeth cut it. It was very..... interesting.

[Apobiosis]

I spar all of my instructors just about every class; our school is very fighting intensive and emphasizes learning how to adapt to any fighting situation via experience rather than repeated drills.

We always get banged up, bruised, jammed fingers and toes, but we rarely have any serious injuries. My most serious injury came during my black belt review, where I was faked out by my sensei with a low roundhouse which turned into a heel kick. I caught the foot below the temple and don't remember a whole lot. Granted, it was partially my fault - I dropped my guard and moved in for a counter, and it was about an hour into the full-contact fighting segment of the review after all the other requirements. It suffices to say that both parties involved felt bad

[Sandan]

Higher grades are always safer to sparr with... more control, at least the ones with no egos!

Hate fighting total beginners and brown belts... beginners anything can happen, brown belts, all the technique and something to prove.

Then again I am the instructor...

[June1]

Higher grades are always safer to sparr with... more control, at least the ones with no egos!

That is exactly what one of my karate buddies, who is a brown belt, told me last week when I told her I wanted to spar with a lower belt (4 classes into my orange belt, and I still haven't sparred).

[Sandan]

Yea, I don't like fighting beginners, as anything could happen and if you're supposed to be going lightly they have no idea what that is and they go hell for leather. Also they see a black belt and in their head it's too much of a challenge for them to stay calm.

[Sauzin]

Before my sensei had a heart attack I had the opportunity to spar with him a couple of times. I remember the first time that we sparred, being surprised the when he took a rather low stance thinking, "Well maybe I've got a bigger, slower target." Then I remember getting this sudden feeling like a train was rushing toward me. It's almost as if he hit me before he was even in reach. Needless to say I learned a lot about the value of balance and how fast an old man can move.

I have also had the opportunity of being an uke in several of my sensei’s demonstrations on stage and at seminars. I was very pleased with the amount of force that my sensei felt comfortable dealing out when working with me. It told me that he trusted my reaction and training enough to put a lot into it. It also gave me the opportunity to know what I could take. I've been bruised, left a bit sore, and given a fat lip once in a great while. But I have never been seriously injured by my sensei. A testament to his skill and control as well as his teaching.