I have to tell this story on myself: At our most recent silat class, we were working some basic entries from the first djuru, and Toby, Edwin, and I were cycling around. It was dark, the only light from four tiki torches, and it was raining. The tall and wide-canopied tree we were under stopped most of the rain, but some was getting through -- it was coming down pretty good.
Toby was attacking, and I was defending, and I wasn't paying attention, wasn't doing the technique as I should have been -- which was not waiting for his punch to arrive, but beating him to the position.
He stepped in and punched me in the jaw.
Not hard, but it was a real line, and I got tagged because I was mentally wool-gathering.
My fault entirely. Any time I miss a block, it's my fault -- even if I didn't know what was coming -- but which I did -- I should have had the line covered.
It was a good lesson in several ways. Had I been focused, had I stepped in, instead of waiting, it wouldn't have happened. It being dark and raining had better not matter. But I was goofing off, watching somebody else, mind wandering.
When being attacked, this is a bad thing.
Funny how getting hit now and then refocuses you. If I had to bet, I wouldn't expect that to happen again soon.
Shit happens, yes.
ReplyDeleteBut it is also true that timing becomes challenged in dim lightening if one is not used to it as the opponent appears to be longer than he actually is - so, it might be that you did your thing OK but got screwed because of the conditions were not what you are used to (lightening).
Maybe so, maybe not.
Naw, it was all on me. If I'd had my lines covered, I should have been able to stop that attack blindfolded.
ReplyDeleteYou snooze, you lose ...
Feels good to get tagged sometimes; it lets you remember what you're fighting for (or against).
ReplyDeleteIn professional wrestling, if you get hit too hard (or "stiffed"), it can sometimes be blamed on the other guy. As partners, you put yourself into positions of vulnerability where the other guy can mess you up.
I remember standing still while a guy punched me in the face hard enough to make my jaw on the other side ache. But I kicked people hard enough in matches that I earned every "receipt" I got. Except maybe the time one guy slammed me with force, back-first, onto an unfolded steel folding chair hard enough to bend the seat 90 degrees. I got him back, but A) I may have told this story before in a forum you've read, and B) it's a little graphic.
though of course I got payback from Edwin a little while later with that elbow to the mouth he gave me. But better to be hit by friends than by enemies. :)
ReplyDelete