No respect for age!

[pineapple]

I am now 50 years old and occasionally young practitioners asks me to spar with them. I love sparring for the sake of practice but I have too many times encountered people who just want to prove themselves.

I feel that it is disrespectful to be challenged this way by people so much younger than me. I feel no need to prove myself and even when they go all out on me, I still hold back a lot. I'm not as fast as I used to be but I can still hit very hard but then again I don't want to hurt anyone.

How should I handle these situations?

[UsagiYojimbo]

Dude, just kick the crap out of those little snot-noses! Seriously, though, isn't getting humbled when you're being cocky an important part of martial arts training?

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Hey pineapple...I'm 52 and know what you're saying. Do what I do...dump the kiddies on their buns!

Despite the age difference, I find I'm still faster than they are, move smoother, react quicker...and in general, don't have to much of a problem with the "kiddies".

[CloudDragon]

One thing I have noticed with younger practicioners is that they don't seem to have the respect for balance, and a firm base, that the more experienced of us do. I use strong blocks and agressive advances to disrupt the balance, this usually results in stumbling back or falling. Either way they learn to be more controlled in their attacks.

[dtstiachi]

I'm sorry you are running into this Pineapple.

Kids today can be so disrespectful. I agree with the others, but them on their rear end a few times and mabey they will learn some respect.

[Mr. Mike]

while I'm not quite as decripit as you guys, I do have the same issues...up til two weeks ago, I was the only adult on the leadership team. The rest are high school kids and two twelve year olds. Needless to say, I get alot of flack. There is a new member of the team who is about 10 years my senior and we always joke about being the 'sweaty old guys.'

I see the lack of respect in sparring, but mostly amongst the newer students...the more experienced ones just plain know better and respect the wisdom. There is this one kid in particular that had to always try...we were at the hotel for the tournament that we were attending the weekend of the 19th of March, and he started making Bruce Lee noises and tap sparring me in the lobby. Well I simply waited for him to kick and lifted my leg...too bad for him. He looks at me and says "yeah, but I can still drop you." WHAT?!?!?! How's that for disrespectful? He was acting serious about it too. So, I told him " the only place you could drop me is off at the Diner across the street for lunch maybe!" Alot of students are having a problem with his cockiness...the ladies decided to stop going easy on him during sparring...he isn't checking his power...yada yada yada...man, I could go on for hours about this kid, but won't...he'll humble himself.

Anyway, I hear the lack of respect for age thing...totally.

[pineapple]

I once had a youngster go all out on me. He was throwing as fast and as hard as he could so I "taught him a lesson".

I was criticised by others for doing so.

So it seems that it's a "damned if I do and damned if I don't" situation.

[dtstiachi]

why would he be going "all out" on you. The goal of sparing isn't to injure your partner. It is to learn how to use your martial arts in a controlled fighting situation. Am I correct?

[pineapple]

why would he be going "all out" on you. The goal of sparing isn't to injure your partner. It is to learn how to use your martial arts in a controlled fighting situation. Am I correct?

You're correct that that is what it's SUPPOSED to be but like I said, many of the young practitioners want to prove themselves .

[dtstiachi]

Show them some repsect Pineapple. (but don't hurt them too much)