Almost knocked out opponent in sparing!

[Iskrax]

First of all I want to say that I'm crying right now. Not because someone hit me hard-otherwise- I almost knocked out my opponent in today's sparring.

 

I'm 16 yrs old doing shotokan karate for more than 1 year. Today was my first serious sparing ( AKA/SHIRO type). It was sparring when 1v1 fight infront of the class. It was my and mine partners time to go infront of whole class. My opponent is 7KYU(+50 yrs old man) and he said to be carefuly. The fight started. I was attacking. After 2 rounds I threw very good and strong GYAKU tsuki into my opponents head. I hit his NOSE. When I heard YAMME! I looked and saw my opponent on his knees. His nose was bleeding. I was like oh my god!

Sensei told me to sit and turn my back into opponent. While I was sitting here I saw how my senseis are helping that man. They used medicine and sat him on the chair. While the other guys were sparring, I stood up and ran to that injured guy. I appologised him. He was smiling. When I was putting my clothes on a couple of black belts said that I'm going to be very good in kumite after couple of years. After that sensei told me to be more careful and It's OK-we all are training.

After class finished, I started crying. I was in panic, feeling guilty, bad. While I was walking home I cried and blamed myself! That if it would be without sparing gloves? I would knocked him out! It happened in front of the whole class.. All my sensei saw it... Now how I can look into that guy eyes.. I'm not type of guy who enjoys hitting others. I hate myself!

I think now that my sparring partner hates me. Who wouldn't? I hit him too hard..

 

At the moment I want to stop my KARATE training. I need help from you guys! What should I do? Should I stop or continue? Help!

 

Have you had similar situations?

I lost motivation for my karate. Also I injured my finger and I can't move it. But it's nothing compared that I have done...

[Harkon72]

Well, you've proved one thing - your punch works.

This is a very important lesson. Martial Arts are not a sport. The techniques are designed to injure or even kill. Many people don't realize that. At their root, martial arts were a system for survival. They are nothing to be played with. The fact that we can practice them safely with each other is testament to our skill as martial artists. When training, even Roman Gladiators did not kill each other. But I can guarantee that a few times they got a nasty smack in the ribs or a bloody nose. Kumite is not real fighting, but accidents happen. If you miss time a strike, or your opponent walks into your kick, then they or you can get hurt. That's what happens in martial arts. If you draw blood in kumite competition, you can lose points or if you do it more than once you can lose the bout. Controlling your technique against a moving opponent takes practice and it is a sign of an advanced karateka when they can perform powerful techniques without hurting the opponent. Don't be discouraged, persist, I'm sure your Sensei understands the situation very well; he has seen it many times I'm sure and possibly has done it himself. All you can do is try and learn from your experience. I was training Aikido last night, in stepping into my opponent, I broke two of my toes. I just carried on carefully, my friend doesn't even know about it. Injuries happen all the time, karate and the like are contact practices; if a punch was not to land heavily every now and again, I would question your commitment. Good luck and good sparring.

[Wastelander]

The fact that your partner was smiling at you afterward tells me that he didn't take it personally. Besides, it's just a bloody nose--that isn't any sort of serious damage, and some people get them very easily, so you may not have even hit him all that hard. We have a teen student who gets bloody noses just from pressure against his face during grappling. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, as they say.

In other words, try to let it go! I'm sure your partner is fine, and doesn't hate you

If it makes you feel any better, I DID knock someone out in friendly sparring when I visited my old dojo last year. It was in front of his entire Advanced Class. I felt terrible, but he didn't hold it against me, and no lasting damage was done. People are more resilient than you would think.

[mal103]

Learn from it and move on. Not a problem, just part of the learning experience. You will soon be skilled enough to pull that punch to within a cm of the target, even if they are moving towards you.

I have punched someone in the throat because they moved after I launched it, I also elbowed someone in the jaw and chipped their tooth. We all expect the odd knock, so long as it wasn't done with intention then you are okay.

Turn up next week and apologise again to the opponent and maybe speak with your Sensei to clear the air, he will be fine with it.

Then get back into training, the next time you spar aim more for the body....

[mazzybear]

Don't be too hard on yourself, accidents happen. Everybody and i mean EVERYBODY in the martial arts has been hit by or hit their opponent too hard at one time or another. It's part and parcel of the MA. The man you were sparring with will understand this sort of thing happens all the time. Your Sensei will have seen it a million times. It's how you learn control, through trial and error.

For the other black belts to say what they did means they see potential in you, take heart from that. Just dust yourself down and keep going, don't let one little incident ruin your martial arts journey, learn from it and move on.

Mo.

[DWx]

Honestly a bloody nose is not that bad and happens fairly easy and frequently. It's the nature of what we do. Your partner doesn't hate you if he was smiling and accidents do happen. After only 1 year of training you're still finding your feet and learning how to control your tools so it's really not a problem if you accidentally hit people sometimes. Don't worry about it and get yourself back to the dojo.

(and put some ice on your finger)

[Nidan Melbourne]

Don't freak out over this. It was a good punch and was a good learning experience for both of you. and you taught him how he should keep his hands up! Especially with just over 1 years of training you are going well in learning.

We all have done it at some point during our training. I have hit people in the nose plenty of times and they were appreciative that i showed something that they can improve on. And the same has happened for me many many times even to this day (I have trained for 13 years).

I got hit last night in the nose during kumite and caused it to bleed courtesy of an orange belt. I was grateful to that orange belt for doing it because showed me that i was doing something wrong when i was going to engage in a takedown.

The fact he is smiling shows that he isn't angry at you over this.

[CDraper]

It is and will be ok. The fact that you turned and sit while your opponent was being tended to is respectful. Also the fact that you apologized to your training partner and the fact he was smiling at you afterwards indicates there are no hard feeling on his part. It looks like there was no ill intent on your part and the others in your dojo are not upset with you so I would recommend getting back out there and train.

I've had this happen to me and other at various times and the thing it the person doing the injury is typically more upset then the person getting injured.

So get back out there

[Kanku65]

I've taken full power (accidental) kicks to the testicles, and fallen down in pain during friendly sparring matches.

During these times, forgiveness is never questioned. It's my first reaction. I know who I train with, and I understand that nothing like that would ever be intentional.

Accidents will always happen. Rule number one in life. All we can do is our very best in constant attempts to prevent them.

Perhaps that punch will help your training partner grow, as much as it will help you grow.

[AdamKralic]

There is contact. There will be injuries eventually. As a 12 year old boxer I gave a few bloody noses...but never thought I was close to knocking someone out.

Now on the flip side I was actually very close to being knocked out once...but thankfully the other fighter was unaware of how much damage I sustained.

Basically I got hit with a hook and my vision tunneled and went kind of grey...felt like I was in a kind of grey jello...and everything felt fuzzy. Then from the dead center of my vision the world returned to color...and that color sphere expanded outwards until everything was normal again.

If it makes you feel better...I do not remember it being painful. Opposite really...everything was deadened.

It's more painful to get hit and not be close to getting knocked out imho. Nose shots especially smart.

The point of all that rambling is this...what happened to him....WILL happen to you. You could be the next Bruce Lee...it WILL still happen to you. Nobody is immune from damage. N O B O D Y. Sounds like he took it very well. No shame, drama, name calling that some immature fighters might display in the same circumstance. He taught you a lesson imho. Learn from his lesson. WHEN it happens to you...be like him.