by Victor
» Sat Mar 04, 2000 7:09 pm
The Good Old Days Part II – The Bad (The Terror)
I was a new black belt, had been one for about 3 months, and was getting ready to line up for my first Black Belt Sparring division at Jon Bonner’s Coal Kick-In in Tamaqua, Pa. The division lined up by height and general size. As fortune had it my closest match was Sam Shockley from Lancaster, Penna. At that time Sam was ranked the No. 10 heavyweight in the World by the PKA.
The Sam Shockley I knew from tournaments conducted himself like a true gentleman. But he could be a terrifying one too. I had previously seen him leap into the air with a marvelous jump spin back kick over his opponents head.
Several weeks before my first tournament I read how Sam knocked out one of my seniors, Reese Rigby, no mean fighter in his own right. At that tournament Sam misjudged a jump spinning wheel kick and hit Reese in the neck, knocking him out. True, as it was non-contact Reese won the fight, but he was also on the ground.
About 6 months before this fated match I saw Sam fight at one of George Dillmans’s tournaments. He competed in both the non-contact and the Semi-Pro (full contact to the body – light contact to the head) divisions.
In his non-contact fights Sam drew a young fighter from Philadelphia who twice kicked him in the groin. The non-contact divisions allowed no groin kicks to score. After the second contact the competitor was disqualified, and although more than a little pressed, Sam conducted himself as controlled warrior.
In the Semi-Pro division, they drew each other for their second fight. Once again the young man drove a rising front kick into Sam’s Groin. Sam chose to simply step outside of the ring and walk around the entire tournament floor to walk off the pain. Although not allowed, not a judge said a thing to Sam.
When he re-entered the ring he set down in his horse stance. The judge shouted ‘Hajime’ and Sam leapt in with the strongest side kick I’ve ever seen. He kicked the young man in the abdomen so hard that he was totally bent in two over and under Sam’s leg from the kicks. When Sam’s leg withdrew he dropped to the floor screaming. Personally I thought he was dying, but later realized he was trying to shout he pain away.
Well the fight eventually continued and Sam one as the young man’s wind was completely out of his sails at that time.
I guess one doesn’t kick Sam Shockley in the groin and think it won’t be noticed.
Now it was my time, my first Black Belt fight, and my opponent was Sam Shockley.
All of this was going through my head as I was waiting to compete.
I remember entering the ring opposite him, Rei-ing getting set and participating in a very quick warm up exercise with Sam. I began to attack and he nailed me. Then he blew through my defenses several times and the fight was completed. Sam was very nice and professional about it. I allowed him to loosen up a little before his next fight.
My friends came up to me afterwards and remarked that they never saw anyone turn so white and trembling before they stepped into the ring..
Perhaps not, but then they weren’t the ones stepping out with Sam.
I was a new black belt, had been one for about 3 months, and was getting ready to line up for my first Black Belt Sparring division at Jon Bonner’s Coal Kick-In in Tamaqua, Pa. The division lined up by height and general size. As fortune had it my closest match was Sam Shockley from Lancaster, Penna. At that time Sam was ranked the No. 10 heavyweight in the World by the PKA.
The Sam Shockley I knew from tournaments conducted himself like a true gentleman. But he could be a terrifying one too. I had previously seen him leap into the air with a marvelous jump spin back kick over his opponents head.
Several weeks before my first tournament I read how Sam knocked out one of my seniors, Reese Rigby, no mean fighter in his own right. At that tournament Sam misjudged a jump spinning wheel kick and hit Reese in the neck, knocking him out. True, as it was non-contact Reese won the fight, but he was also on the ground.
About 6 months before this fated match I saw Sam fight at one of George Dillmans’s tournaments. He competed in both the non-contact and the Semi-Pro (full contact to the body – light contact to the head) divisions.
In his non-contact fights Sam drew a young fighter from Philadelphia who twice kicked him in the groin. The non-contact divisions allowed no groin kicks to score. After the second contact the competitor was disqualified, and although more than a little pressed, Sam conducted himself as controlled warrior.
In the Semi-Pro division, they drew each other for their second fight. Once again the young man drove a rising front kick into Sam’s Groin. Sam chose to simply step outside of the ring and walk around the entire tournament floor to walk off the pain. Although not allowed, not a judge said a thing to Sam.
When he re-entered the ring he set down in his horse stance. The judge shouted ‘Hajime’ and Sam leapt in with the strongest side kick I’ve ever seen. He kicked the young man in the abdomen so hard that he was totally bent in two over and under Sam’s leg from the kicks. When Sam’s leg withdrew he dropped to the floor screaming. Personally I thought he was dying, but later realized he was trying to shout he pain away.
Well the fight eventually continued and Sam one as the young man’s wind was completely out of his sails at that time.
I guess one doesn’t kick Sam Shockley in the groin and think it won’t be noticed.
Now it was my time, my first Black Belt fight, and my opponent was Sam Shockley.
All of this was going through my head as I was waiting to compete.
I remember entering the ring opposite him, Rei-ing getting set and participating in a very quick warm up exercise with Sam. I began to attack and he nailed me. Then he blew through my defenses several times and the fight was completed. Sam was very nice and professional about it. I allowed him to loosen up a little before his next fight.
My friends came up to me afterwards and remarked that they never saw anyone turn so white and trembling before they stepped into the ring..
Perhaps not, but then they weren’t the ones stepping out with Sam.
1 comment:
Love that story.
Post a Comment