Anyone Ever Get Scared Doing Techniques

[nanook660]

Has anyone ever been scared in Martial Arts Class? Just wondering here. Sometimes I do. Is this normal?

I have been doing Wado Ryu for 3 Years now. And right now I am a 2nd Green Belt. At this Level we are doing a lot more Advance things. Which is great I love the new challenges. We're also learning how to do "Break falls". As we are doing Jujitsu Applications which involves "take downs". I am sort of okay doing these, but not fully.

I have never been scared of Karate but last week boy oh boy. One Technique would involve one person doing a Front Kick and the partner grabbing the leg, laying the other hand across the chest and sending the person down to the floor. I just could not do this, nor have it done to me.

Fran

[KumitePanda]

nope, i take anything and face it, fear is what holds you back when learning, you cant progress without facing your fears.

[mal103]

After a grading where we have spent weeks doing line work and Kata/Kumite we then have a few lessons of something different - normally self defence techniques which involve plenty of contact and hitting the floor/mats.

I sometimes find it awkward, especially if paired with a child or female, i'm more worried about hurting them. If paired with another adult then I do get aprehensive as some of them "hurt", there's nothing worse than knowing your leg is gonna get swept away painfully - again....

On the other hand I find it extremely helpful and we are learning skills that could help us out if confronted/grabbed in the real world.

I would say speak to your Sensei or ask to train with a specific partner and hopefully you will feel more comfortable with these techniques as you progress.

This reminds me of when my daughter was losing interest and eventually admitted that she hated sparring with me as - although I didn't mean to - it hurt her wrists when I blocked. Even though she would always want to partner with me as she can be shy. I immediately spoke to the Sensei and requested that we not spar together anymore and all was returned to normal. Luckily her friend has started so she has someone who is evenly matched and they are happy sparring together.

[honoluludesktop]

Hi Fran, How old are you? Did you do any contact sports as a child? If not, and this is your first time with a contact art, you fear is understandable.

I once trained with a young lady for several years. I met her when she was 13-14, and she trained until she was 19-20. as she got older, she got really good, and was actually much faster, and in some ways stronger then I was. I was in my late 50s at that time, and the only edge I had was my experience on the mat. During prearranged drills, she would not control and kicked me good, but when free sparring, if I as much as touched (not hit) her, she would fly off the handle. Once time I side stepped her attack, and as she passed me by, I patted her on the head. Boy did she get mad.

Just don't replace your fear with anger, and you will be OK.

[razz]

One we are practicing, or did practice was, while holding the other partner chest to chest, you roll down and do a backroll, he does a front roll and you land over him...I was never able to land on top, always end up on the side. Little scary to do,

[mal103]

I suppose if you are unsure or feel unsafe about any activity then you should politely refuse to do it, this is after all a hobby to most people, although sometimes it becomes a way of life.....

You also need to get home and work/school the next day so could do without any major injuries!

One of the senoir grades was urging us to stretch further last year - where you place a leg on someones shoulder and they slowly stand/raise - I had to politely state that I knew when my leg was stretched fully and am happy monitoring the gradual increase over time but not prepared to risk damage.

[SaiFightsMS]

Consider the potential for damage to an attacker some of the techniques we are taught have I would view occasional fear of a new technique as natural. It is how we deal with it and how we are taught to deal with our fears that show the talent and abilities of our teachers and hour Sempai. How we learn to control and deal with out fear is part of our learning process during training.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, it means I have to throw myself at the floor more.

[Montana]

I can see little aprehension with a technique perhaps, but fear? No. If you are experiencing fear after 3 years of doing the art, then I'd say something's terribly wrong and you need to address that fear and come to grips with it, or take up basket weaving instead. If you have fear inside the dojo, then you can fully expect to have that same fear, if not greater, in a street confrontation.

I have a screwed up back and have to be careful when practicing. Rolls, breakfalls and hard kicks with my right leg can cause my back to "pop", and that's not a good thing. Do I fear the techniques? Not at all, but because I have limitations and I know what they are, I use caution and do my best to compensate for them.

[Montana]

.......I patted her on the head. Boy did she get mad.

I've been teaching for quite a while, and one thing I discovered early on was if you want to get a woman mad, pat her on the head during sparring. It's a good way to get a new female student that is afraid to spar the very first time angry enough to start attacking you!