Sparring

[pegkerr]

In about a half hour, I am going to drive to the dojo. When I get there, I'm going to put on a helmet with a cage over the face, a mouthguard, shin guards, foot, hand and elbow pads, and a chest pad. I'm going to get into a ring with other adults, both men and women, and for the first time in a year and a half, I am going to try to spar.

I like form. I like classical marching basics.

I do not like sparring. I do not, I do not, I do not.

We start sparring at the green belt stage. I did it for, I dunno, somewhere between six months and a year before I stopped. I didn't buy the equipment thinking, "Gee, I can't wait to try it!" Instead, I would face my opponent usually with quite a bit of dread.

The pads protect you, but still, I endured some tear-inducing wallops. And there were times I would get in there and I'd get hit, and I'd leave the ring, go into the bathroom, shut the door and sob.

The veterans told me that, oh, it gets easier. You'll grow to like it. Really you will. And you'll get better, and then it gets exciting. I tried to believe it, just the way that I tried to believe the people who told me that I'd grow to like running if I just stuck with it long enough.

Well, I tried several times in my life to develop the running habit, but it never took. I still hate it.

So, anyway. . .I'm going to try it again. I hope that this first night back goes somewhat easy.

I wonder if I'll cry again tonight. I really hope not. It's damned embarrassing.

Comments

[a-c-fiorucci.livejournal.com]

There is a book, called The Armored Rose, I think, which is a guide for new female fighters in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). It talks about how many women go to their first few practices and everything is fine until someone hits them (which is the point: it's combat). It gives some strategies, if I remember correctly, for coming to grips with the emotions involved. I never took up fighting but much of what it said made sense.

If you would like me to, I can dig up the book and give you some quotes.

Best wishes, also.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

>The veterans told me that, oh, it gets easier.

_Some_ veterans. I never liked sparring. Even at 2nd degree level, I didn't see much fun in matching a nearly-fifty graybeard against testosterone-crazed teenagers...

[bohemianspirit.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about karate, but I do know that if you don't like something, you don't like something, and there's no shame in that, or in crying when you're hurt. (I also hope you are well healed from your surgery by now, and that that is not an issue here.) This may be one of those things in which the aphorism applies: You don't have to like it, you just have to do it.

If you have to do it, I know you'll get through it. ;-) Wishing you toughness!

[jbru.livejournal.com]

My dear, you are (mumblety-mumble) years old, have given birth to two children and are a fine, upstanding example of a woman. You are allowed to cry for any reason and no reason and have no need to feel embarrassed about it. Let the tears flow!

And get back in there and hit the blackguard through them!

[pazlazuli.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you are going to sparring classes despite your nervousness. You may never like sparring, but it does get better in the sense that it gets easier to focus no matter how emotional you are feeling. Which is a wonderful thing, because if you ever have to use your martial arts for self-defense, you will be able to react and defend yourself, despite the fear and surprise that is bound to occur when one is attacked.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

It didn't seem so great at the time, but I'm really glad that as a kid, I frequently hit and got hit by my brother, 11 months younger than I and almost exactly the same size from when we were about 2 and 3 till we were about 12 and 13. As a result, I have neither the fear of getting hit nor the reluctance to hit that many women have. (I'm not saying this is going on with you, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's some connection here.)

[fireflowerlass.livejournal.com]

I always hated sparring when I took Tae-Kwon Do.