THE MOST DANGEROUS STUDENTS

Most people think that it would be scary to fight a black belt, let alone if the black belt is the guy or gal teaching the class? Right? Well, it depends. If your teacher is not a psycho, s/he is probably the safest person to work out with in your training hall. This is because the teacher is there to motivate you, push you, teach you, and challenge you, while other people in your class may have big egos, or worse yet, big issues.

I've put together a listing of what I consider are the worst people in the world to spar against when training. These people have to be watched because of their experience, lack of experience, issues, or big egos.

The Raw Beginner

White belts, beginner with no prior training, are perhaps the most dangerous people to fight against in the dojo for one reason: they don't know that sparring is just an EXERCISE. These people will swing at you for REAL, ESPECIALLY if they think you have some skill because one, they think that they CAN'T hit you because you are the big, bad kung-fu person and they aren't and two, THEY HAVE NO CONTROL. There is no rhyme or reason to any technique they come with. They have no idea how to pull a punch. In addition, they don't throw their attacks in the pre-arranged, customary fashion that you are used to in your style, that you are comforable blocking. Therefore they will come at you with ANYTHING. Raw white belts will kick you in the knee, the chin, the groin, and will break your nose if you are not careful. Why? Because they DON'T think they can hit you. They think that thier fighting skills are so lame that you will EASILY avoid their blows. The truth is that you are not superman. You WILL get hit by them. Ironically, they rarely go off on each other, because they don't want to hurt someone they think is as vulnerable as they are.

The best way to handle them is to be careful with them. Don't lose your control and don't let them lose theirs. I actually welcome the chance to work with raw white belts because they keep me in touch with how people fight for real.

The Sick Students

The sick students are the ones that show up to class when they have the cold, flu, pink-eye, or some other infectious disease. The good side is that they are easy to fight because they are weak. The down side is that you end up catching their cold, especially if you do any grappling. The only time I've ever had a full blown case of the flu was when I was training around these die-hards who refuse to stay home when ill. I've learn since then to get my flu-shots and drink my orange juice during flu season. And, out of courtesy I stay home and do not train whenever I am feeling under the weather.

The best way to handle the infirm is to convince them to GO HOME. Even if they out-rank you, you can suggest that they may recover easier if they rest. You should also go home and down some Vitamin C right after class and pray to God or whomever you believe in that you didn't catch their diease.

The New or Teenage Uppper Belt or Black Belt

The new or teen-age black belt is dangerous because of ego. These people feel like they have something to prove. Having just acquired their ranking or having acquired it at a young age, they may be insecure about their fighting skills. If you are a big guy like I am, you are a prime target for these types because they love the feeling of beating up someone bigger and stronger than they are. It's that whole David and Goliath thing, where they think they are David and you Goliath, when in reality, it is the other way around due to their training.

There are a couple of ways to handle these types. One, you can tell them to lay off, or you can complain to the instructor. Usually if your teacher is reasonable, s/he will say something to the upper rank about their behavior before you even get a chance to complain. If this doesn't work, then you may need to go to another school. It is possible that you have walked into a den of jerks who think that the only way to learn is to get the crap knocked out of you. It is also possible that you may be better than you think you are and that you were really pushing the upper-belt or black belt to the limit. In addition, you could be over reacting, since some hits are expected if you are taking a hard or more competitive style. The best thing to do is TRUST YOUR GUT. IF YOU THINK THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG, THEN IT IS. If you notice a lot of beginners are getting hurt (or a lot of other students for that manner) pack your bags and find someone who can help you without sending you to the hospital every month.

A bad way to handle it, although it works, is to POP HIM ONE. Yes, that's right, NAIL HIM. Perfect example: I was a white belt with prior training when a green belt student try to pummel me. He was a teenager, feeling his oats. What he didn't know was that the ONLY reason I reduced myself to a low rank is because my first system taught no forms. I have also done one amateur boxing match where although I lost on points, the guy who "won" had to be carried out on a stretcher. My fighting skills were a couple of ranks above his, but HE didn't know that. I also had a good 60 pounds on the boy. Plus, I am more ghetto than he is.

At any rate, he tried to come off on me at full contact, to the head, during a DRILL. The instructor glanced (actually GLARED) at him, but he didn't pick up the hint. So, when it was MY turn to be the attacker I knocked the wind out of him with one well placed round-house kick. Mind you, it worked because he did not EXPECT it. He expected me not to know ANYTHING. Ever since then, I had NO PROBLEM out of him. My current sempis and senseis (yes I used the Japanese terms even though it's a Korean style because I think that the words fit) have told me "Hey, sometimes you have to pop some of these assholes. They just don't get it. They have no concept of the word RESPECT." I know this, I don't like this, but if you back me in a corner, I'll turn in to a wolverine.

I know some of you thought that it was all "wax-on, wax-off". Nope. Sorry folks, but there are jerks in all parts of life, and the Martial Arts is no exception. If the jerk is a black belt and you are a beginner, than you need to complain IMMEDIATELY. If the jerk is a black belt and you are close to getting yours, and you know that your fighting skills are about equal to his (yes folks, some black belts have the nerve to be jerks even though they can't fight and they KNOW they can't fight, that's why they have to prove themselves by beating up on a student), if he doesn't respond to you telling him to back off, NAIL HIM. You are nobody's punching bag.

The Ringers

The ringers are the guys with training in another style but have a low rank in YOUR system, and/or the guys who have held an intermediate rank forever, yet refuse to test for the black belt for whatever reason. They are also the over-forty something martial artists who limp in, bones-a-cracking, complaining about their knees, hip, back, or ankle, moaning about their allergies or their asthma, then turn into Jackie Chan or Cleopatra Jones as soon as the match begins.

These people are dangerous because you underestimate him/her. You think "Oh, he's a white belt" then WOMP, you've got a size 12 upside your head. Or you think that gray haired lady who looks like she should be hanging out with your mother, who can barely touch her toes, will be no problem even though she's a black-belt, yet you neglect to consider the fact that she may have quick hands!

The good news is that ringers usually are not out to hurt you. The bad news is that they will laugh at you when they see that look of shock on your face. I try to work out with ringers every chance I get because they usually have good timing or unorthodox approaches that you can incorporate into your repetoire. Also, the younger ones who are ringers because of outside training can usually hip you to some techniques and tactics that you may not get from your current system. Actually, ringers are some of the safest people to work out with on the average because they tend to have the humblest egos. Just don't piss them off unless you want everyone in your school talking about how you got beat up by the woman who could pass for Florida Evans on "Good Times" because you got too cocky one day!

The Psycho-Instructors

There is nothing worse than fighting against a crazy instructor.

Some of these types have a pit-bull mentality. They came up from the School of Hard Knocks, so if you train in their school, you will get knocked HARD. They think that the best way for you to learn is to learn how to get beat up, and that by getting beat up you will become tougher and learned respect. About the only thing I have learned from being beaten up is how to live with pain, and I suspect that is the lesson that most other people will get as well. I'm not talking about the fact that you win some and lose some, or that accidents happen, I'm talking about the schools where you MUST fight the teacher and that if you do, you're going DOWN like a victim of a drive-by shooting. I thank God that I have avoided this type successfully, but have heard stories from others who are not so lucky.

Other teachers out there really are not that good or they are insecure about their fighting skills. Their egos are such that they can NEVER have a student out perform them at ANY cost. These guys are competing with their students. Think of it as a pecking order: if you're the beta-wolf in their pack, then you are not supposed to ever be their equal, even though you are training to improve your fighting skills. Sounds strange, doesn't it? Yet, that's the way it is. The odds are that if you ever get one good shot in on your teacher you will think that it's luck, and it probably will be just that: LUCK. Sadly, the only way you will really know that it was not your luck, but your SKILLS that was making the teacher miss you or take a couple of your attacks to the dome is when s/he retaliates by commencing to whip your ass!

There is no good way I can think of to handle this situation other than to leave and study under someone who is secure. That's what I'd do. Sure, you could talk to Sabunim Insecure about the problems, but why would you want to train under someone who wants to kick your tail? I would say again, to trust your gut: if it feels odd, then IT IS ODD. There are enough people out there teaching that you can study with someone who wants to see you grow rather than someone who only wants you to be good, but not TOO GOOD.

Conclusion