The Day I Knocked Myself Out!

[sensei8]

The year was 1992! I was at my Dojo, it was shortly after 1PM, because I was working out after having a light lunch in preparation for my 2PM Adults Green Belts and up class.

I've a good size Dojo main floor area, yet, there's never been a place to hang any type of Hanging Bag due to the drop-ceiling; therefore, I've alot of different Wavemasters instead. Since I wanted the means of hanging a bag, I had to use my genius to figure out a location for my hanging bag.

My first problem was I was thinking, and the other problem was where I hung the bag; something that would prove to be not one of my smartest decisions, as you're about to find out why.

Solution! I found the perfect place...the only place afforded to me...southwest corner, out of the way as to not disturb anyone, just inside of the Mens washroom. The Mens washroom is adjacent to the Mens locker room entrance, seperated by a ceiling-to-floor wall. This area is also carpeted. I know, what a place to put a hanging bag...it stinks, huh? Necessity is the mother of invention...I was inventing a location for my hanging bag.

This area has a bueatifully beamed ceiling, which added some touch to its decor. Yet, I never thought that these very beams would be used for anything other than holding the roof up...and my hanging bag. I'd work out with this hanging bag whenever time permitted, this bag was for my personal use.

For the next 45 minutes I hit this bag like it had stolen money from me. I hit it, and I hit it, and I hit it some more. I was at the end of my solo workout when 'it' happened.

I did my cool down. I stopped, I wiped my face and neck dry, took a couple of deep breathes, and only God knows why I did the dumbest thing...

I jumped to do a Jump Spinning Back Kick and...WHAM! WHACK! The ceiling in the Men and Women washrooms is much lower than the ceilings in either locker room. I'm 6'1" and I can reach up and touch these ceiling beams with ease.

WHAM! WHACK! I smack these ceiling beams very hard with my head, and I mean, HARD! I still have the scar! I was unconscious; lights out! I can't believe that I've knocked myself out, and by the way, there are no birds going "tweet," "tweet" and flying around your head. Lights out means just that...lights out!

When I woke up, I was in my office on the couch, holding ice to my head, with some of my students standing around me. One of my students had came into the mens locker room and saw me in the corner of the washroom with blood running onto the carpet. He went and got some more students, and they helped me to my office. My head was pounding, I tried to stand up, and at first I was woozy, so I sat right back down. I rested a few minutes and then one of my students took me to the hospital to get checked out; 3 tiny stitches and alot of aspirins later I was back at the Dojo.

I went back to the scene of the crime, hanging bag was nowhere to be seen, and there's a small dab of blood on my nice carpet, thank God my carpet cleaning bill wasn't as painful. Thinking back, I'm not sure if I was upset for being a complete dork or for ruining my nice carpet. I asked where the bag was and my most senior student had taken the bag to his house because, according to him, I shouldn't have a hanging bag near me. I said that it's not the bag's fault, and it's not my fault; it's the buildings fault for having a low beam ceiling in that location...actually, it was my fault for putting the bag where I put it. My students didn't seem to trust me with a hanging bag...my students can be so thoughtful...ha, ha, and ha!

Trust me, all of my students had a good time with it! What could I say? Nothing! I was at fault and I deserved their ribbing. It took awhile for me to live this down!

This is the time, and the only time, that I knocked myself stone cold out!! Big bad Karate man gets dropped by ceiling...news at 10.

Has anybody ever done anything as...ahem..."brilliant" as this before? Or...am I the only "elevator stuck between floors" person to have done something that needs to be filed in the "Dumbest Martial Artist" category?

Edited April 26, 2009 by sensei8

[tallgeese]

I've got a story about learning to take groin strikes that's right up there in the "dumbest" catagory. I'll need more to drink before I share that one

But no, you are not alone.

[bushido_man96]

Man, sensei8, you shouldn't be so rough on yourself....

Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. It takes a lot to tell a story that pokes fun at yourself, but you did it with style.

[The BB of C]

I wish I had so many awesome stories about me owning myself I've been laughing all morning reading your stories.

[Patrick]

[JoiH]

Sensei8;

I will join you in the Dumbest Martial Artist awards.

I was moving myself, and doing it alone. I am pretty small (5'2, 135) and I was attempting to get my Wavemaster freestanding heavy bag out of my training room and outside where I could dump out the water in the base. Being the stubborn woman that I am I could not bring myself to ask for help. Well....this bag probably weighs 300 lbs. The base rolls, but that is a lot of weight for me to handle. So (this is the brilliant part) I decide to take the bag off the stand and just roll the stand outside. I was going along pretty good, until I hit the threshold of the door. The stand tipped forward, then all that weight swung back and the top of the base hit me dead between the eyes. It knocked me out for at least a few minutes. I woke up on the floor, with a headache and two swollen eyes. If I would have kept the bag on the stand I would at least have had some cushioning from the impact, but I took the hit from the hard palstic base. So basically, the bag I beat up every week hit me back and knocked me down!

I hope that makes you feel better!

[bushido_man96]

In your case, the bag hits back, eh?

[Shotokan-kez]

Sensei thats mad! Thanks for sharing your story, i think before i ever try to hang a bag i will take some measurements first.

[white owl]

Thanks Sensei8 and JoiH for sharing your stories.

[masters baby RR]

lol @ sensei8

When I was just learning how to spin my staff i hit myself in the groin and then the head respectively. I was using a piece of iron because I didn't have my own staff that time <_< lights OUT!!