Contact allowed in One-Steps?

[northerndragon]

To all responses: kind regards and many thanks!

 

Someone asked in the middle of the group of posts, if I had in fact told the teacher. To answer this question specifically, 'Yes', I told him and to put it bluntly, the teacher was hot under the collar. He told me emphatically that there is no contact allowed in any One Steps. He asked me if it was "Joe Smith" (actual name omitted) and when I told him this was the case, he immediately reassured me that he would talk with him in person alone before the next class! The fact that he knew who it was at the outset showed me that this student may have developed a reputation.

 

For Zanshin,

 

I agree yes I've been bouncing around for a bit, figuratively more than literally, as I've only been to two actual dojos. One was the aforementioned Gosoku Ryu and the other most recently was the Shito Ryu.

 

As for researching and studying up on a style, BEFORE actually visiting, I've learned that this process although time consuming actually helps prepare me mentally prior to stepping foot on the dojo floor. The means of research has been internet forums, actual dojo websites, or a phone call to the sensei(s). Surprisingly all have been helpful, if I knew the right questions to ask.

 

After learning my lesson, in hindsight all the experiences have been worthwhile.

[Zanshin]

To all responses: kind regards and many thanks!

 

Someone asked in the middle of the group of posts, if I had in fact told the teacher. To answer this question specifically, 'Yes', I told him and to put it bluntly, the teacher was hot under the collar. He told me emphatically that there is no contact allowed in any One Steps. He asked me if it was "Joe Smith" (actual name omitted) and when I told him this was the case, he immediately reassured me that he would talk with him in person alone before the next class! The fact that he knew who it was at the outset showed me that this student may have developed a reputation.

 

For Zanshin,

 

I agree yes I've been bouncing around for a bit, figuratively more than literally, as I've only been to two actual dojos. One was the aforementioned Gosoku Ryu and the other most recently was the Shito Ryu.

 

As for researching and studying up on a style, BEFORE actually visiting, I've learned that this process although time consuming actually helps prepare me mentally prior to stepping foot on the dojo floor. The means of research has been internet forums, actual dojo websites, or a phone call to the sensei(s). Surprisingly all have been helpful, if I knew the right questions to ask.

 

After learning my lesson, in hindsight all the experiences have been worthwhile.

Well you see thats exactly my point. Doing your research on a style over the internet obviously has its benefits, but sometimes people feel this "empowers" them and as a result they walk into the dojo with preconceptions.

When, in reality the actual training does not match what they perceive to be correct (from their very limited knowledge), they automatically assume its wrong!

I am not suggesting that you are one of these people but, I believe there is something to be said about starting your training with an aware sense of ignorance.

You have to know what you are letting yourself into, but also when you commit to your training be open minded. Now that takes a very special kind of person. In Japanese Budo they have a reference to "Mushin" - 無心 which basically means mind of no mind or empty mindedness.

The inference being that you take no baggage into combat but in our case into the dojo.

A little bit of knowledge.....?

[Fish]

Two things occur to me:

1. How old was this guy? When I first started, I had to regularly spar with another white belt who was much taller and heavier than me, and only in his late teens. He used to come steaming in far too hard. When I asked him to use control he just said "why?" My guess it was just his age, and his need to impress others.

2. Blue belt is a difficult rank because a blue belt has learnt a certain amount of technique, but can still be quite clumsy/ lacking in control/ needing to impress.

I don't know whether these are issues for the guy who you sparred with.

We used to have a kid in our dojo who was a bit of a bully, and he used to lose his temper and hit other kids too hard. One time, sensei made him spar with a 1st kyu. He tried the same bullying tactics, but got back what he tried to dish out. Sadly, he left the dojo after that, so I don't know whether he learnt his lesson.

[northerndragon]

Zanshin,

 

Nice of you to reply but you have me all wrong. I did not go into this dojo with any preconceived notion of self righteousness and more importantly, I did not have a preconceived notion of self-knowledge about them that put me up on the pedestal that you insinuated. FYI, the internet research was done purely to establish a physical address in Google as well as to garner phone numbers, which helped me to telephone them for setting up an intro-course. None of the internet data gathered even remotely provided some sort of ''knowledge'' about them.

 

Fish,

 

Surprisingly this blue belt was 42 years old! Odd considering most men that age outgrow throwing blindsided kicks or punches on a fellow class mate, more importantly, on a fellow white belt. I recall how distinctly angered the sensei was about hearing this. He did confer with me that this man was due a private meeting with him before the next class.

 

As this is all in the past, it is amazing how it still solicites replies from folks. Great forum here.

[Givnal]

What did you finally decide? I might have missed it but did you end up finding a place you like or are you still considering the gosoku-ryu dojo? Just curious because I think if you can work through some of the adjustments there you may infact fall in love with it. Sometimes just one visit to any dojo can give you a false sense of what the program really entails. After a few visits and getting to know other students you might get to enjoy it more, sometimes half the battle of finding a new place is new faces and the interaction that goes along with it.

Ive come to realize that training, even if it is in a style I wasnt looking to get involved with is still beneficial. Give it some time, everything you learn can offer more for your personal arsenal.

[unknownstyle]

depending on rank it could be light contact or full follow through. if you are a blackbelt under my teacher and we are blocking a strike to the face and you miss the block well guess what you either have a black eye or are on the floor being woke up.

what would be the point in doing these excercises if they arent practiced with the intent to follow through. if you train not knowing what it felt like to hit the person during the drill then you may not know what to do since the body of the attacker will probably not be in the same position as you r uke was due to the fact that you never really commited to your strikes

[bushido_man96]

what would be the point in doing these excercises if they arent practiced with the intent to follow through. if you train not knowing what it felt like to hit the person during the drill then you may not know what to do since the body of the attacker will probably not be in the same position as you r uke was due to the fact that you never really commited to your strikes

I think that this mentality would be better aligned for sparring, as opposed to one-steps.

[unknownstyle]

why should you tone down your training? im not saying you walk in the first day and you get beat down this is years into training. you also gain a great deal of body conditioning. it really doesnt matter to me though its how i train and i know most people wouldnt agree with the severity of my training. its that type of mentality that gives people the idea that martial artists are weak and cannot really use what they know.

[bushido_man96]

I am not telling anyone to water down their training. However, there is a difference in doing one-steps where you stand and offer targets to your partner without moving, and then sparring, when you are both actively trying to block and score hits. If you want to take full powered shots to the ribs, holding your arms over your head, without blocking, then that is fine. But it could be a detriment to your training, especially if you suffer an injury.

[unknownstyle]

thats why you build up to it, by the time you reach your brown belt you should be able to take a full shot to the ribs or mid section and be fine. it is inevitable that you will sustain damage in a conflict so you should prepare for it. i dont care if you are a judan you will still not be able to block everything