Some help please

[genkaimade]

Hi everyone,

Based on a particular happening yesterday afternoon, I'm posting to ask for some advice.

To set the scene for you, yesterday I went to my old sixth form/secondary school (high school for those of you outside the UK!) summer fete to help out with the book selling stand. Having been at a friend's birthday party the previous night and having stayed over, I'd gone straight there and was relatively ill equiped; that is to say that I only had my phone, oyster card, and debit card with me. As a result, and it having been a fairly sunny day, upon getting to the school I gladly walked the few hundered metres to get to a cash machine (you can see where this is going). I'd been speaking to my father on the phone (he was already in the school helping out) as I approached the cash machine, and we finished our conversation just as I approached it. As I put my phone away, I did my usual "look around" as a just in case. Lo and behold, about 10 metres away from me was somebody walking straight at me, and it was obvious from the demeanour that he was putting out that he wasn't coming over for a friendly chat. My thought process which followed was something along the lines of 'grr, I didn't get much sleep last night, I'm hungry and feeling a little weak, I can't be bothered with this'. I know the surrounding area fairly well, so I made my break for safety, and after a few minutes of losing the person having run the outside length of the block, I proceded safely back into the school.

This is effectively how practically every similar situation has ever gone for me - in other words I was lucky in that I spotted the danger before it became unavoidable. However, I'm getting increasingly concerned that I've never really been able to recreate the "adrenaline experience" when training, and as a result, if I ever do find myself in an unavoidably dangerous situation, I will be totally unprepared. If anyone has any advice on recreating this when training, I would be extremely grateful.

On a side note, I'm starting university this coming October, and will have the whole of September off. I'd quite like to venture out and train away from home/with people I wouldn't normally get the opportunity to train with. Any suggestions would be appreciated. (For the record, I'd love to have been at the friendship course this summer, but work/Olympic volunteering commitments are restricting me!)

Thank you,

Alex

[jimlukelkc]

Alex firstly, well done! An excellent example of zanshin and long may you continue to avoid trouble. To answer your question, there is no real substitute for experiencing that "unavoidable situation" but you can, with imagination, simulate it. Get some like minded individuals padded up and try a few of these drills. In a group of four, have one person hold focus mitts, nominate one person to pummel the mitts with ferocity. The other two will constantly run interference by dragging the striker back from the pads or grappling. continue till exhaustion.
Try confrontational drills where one person gets in your face, hurling verbal abuse and pushing whilst others attack you from sides/behind.
Multiple attacks with reduced light levels.
Normal one on one kumite until the command FIGHT! whereupon there is a free for all where anyone may attack anyone.
Start fighting from a disadvantaged position, ( on the deck or seated )
Nominate one person who "stays on" whilst everyone else fights them in 2-3 minute rounds, push hard to simulate stress levels.

[malk103]

Another well done for avoiding trouble, although try to spot it earlier next time - I lived in London for 2 years and visited a few foriegn ports with the Navy to learn how to watch your own back. I now naturally glance about as a habit.
Certainly don't allow yourself to "find" trouble to experience a rush as there are few rules on the street, even if you push the boundaries in a Dojo there will still be limits.

Follow drills like mentioned, the best rush I have had was after a SD lesson with pads, rubber knives and bats. Make sure you do Kihon and Kata after getting worked up, you will then experience a very different level of training with a much better mindset, force and power.

You should always look for opportunities to train with others, most Dojo's will/should welcome you to train with them. Not sure where you are in the UK but anyone would be welcome at Warminster, I have visited other clubs in Bath, Wells and Newton Abbot that I can also recommend.