Who's afraid of Sensei?

[JCavin]

I fear and respect my teacher. Why?

Because I signed up for that when I started his class. He likes to spar very hard(like Kyokushin) with no pads. His appendages apparently feel no pain and he kicks like a mule.

But, I think that sparring should always give you that nervous fluttering in your stomach. If it doesn't, you aren't doing it right. It needs to emulate actual fighting.

I respect him because he's a coworker of mine and he's an all-around cool guy. But, once we're in the dojo, he's the teacher and i'm the student.

[datguy]

I fear my sensei but in a non-fearful way. I have a great respect for his abilities, his life hardships, and his patience. I make my fair share of mistakes but he doesn't get upset with them.

[mauger]

i have been training with my sensei for about 6 months now and i have nothing but the upmost respect for him. My self discipline has increased exponentially. I find this is because when we are in class we are serious but we can still have a joke. Finding a balance is important it doesn't have to be all scarry

[LittleW]

There are some of the higher ranking guy I'm afraid to fight with...

[ramymensa]

I've been fortunate enough to work with a nice sensei and amazing sempais. I had a friend of my sensei, he's higher in rank than him train me for few weeks. He's training our karate team who go to contests and his students are AMAZING. He's a good instructor, but he has the tendency to exaggerate with his technique. When you're punching a 50 kilo woman in the sternum just to make a point, that 50 kilo woman might not actually love it. Especially when you, the 100 kilo sensei don't really pull your punches.

Though he's an amazing technician, I never enjoyed working with him, so I stuck with my sensei, who NEVER made us fear him. He controls his techniques, makes a point, not a bruise. I am not there to become the next Bruce Lee, I am just to work out and learn something. And, as a woman of over 30, I am not that much into the 'martial' stuff anymore, I have other stuff on my mind.

[Kodiak]

I had an instructor who would really hit you, without pulling punches (much) if you didn't try to dodge or block. He made it fairly easy to do (no real speed), but it kept me on my toes after he laid somebody out who didn't block a couple weeks after I started.

[LittleW]

Wow, that's a hard form of training!

My sensei would just touch me, but that's still enough.

[sensei8]

Patty-caking is all a Sensei needs when sparring with students. That way my students know that they didn't do anything effective to my attacks. I'm of the theology that my students MUST block/evade/deflect/etc...do something or I'm going to tag you. In the dojo, that's fine, but in the street...you'll meditate horizontal.

I only go full contact with Greg, our Kancho. We're both sick that way.

[bushido_man96]

Well, you've got to have one of those guys around you to tee off on every now and then, right Bob?

[Lee M]

Fear from respect is good - fear from intimidation is not.

I always hate practioners that don't use control when sparring with a lesser opponent.

Unless the lesser person get a little too excited and needs a little reminder!