My senior student was Roy Blackwell. He actually
began training along with his two brothers in the church program Charles Murray
started in his church. When Charles returned to the USAF the Blackwell brothers
kept training with me and when I began my program at the Scranton Boys Club
they greatly helped me launch that program.
As the years passed
often whey you train siblings as one
pulls ahead of the others in skill, the other brothers turn to something
else and only Roy remained training.
When he entered his Junior year of training his
parents put it to him it was either Football on the School team or dropping
karate for that time. Roy chose football and discontinued karate training for
that time. At that time Roy was a brown belt and I did understand why his
parents made him make that decision.
Of course my program continued at the Boys Club, they
for an upcoming Parents evening I was asked to provide a karate program for the
parents to see. I proceeded to design a
program.
Just before that program, Roy’s football year ended
and he was very eager to return to the karate training with me.
So he got
into the training and practicing with the rest of the group for the program.
It was just the standard overview of what the kids
were studying in our Isshinryu karate program.
Toward the end I was going to perform a simple head board break for all,
Really a simple pop break with my
forehead. Then have several of the youth perform a dynamic self defense skit I had
originally put together for the Blackwell brothers for a tournament several
years before.
In actuality, a very simple set of drills for the
youth to perform before their parents.
The
night of the program Roy came up to me with a begging request. He wanted to do
the head break. It really was a simple break and I knew he had the body mass to
do so. However I also knew it was a bad idea.
I
really did try and dissuade him from that request. But he pleaded so hard
eventually I gave in against my better judgment.
Then the demonstration began.
You know some group and individual kata
performances, several sparring demonstrations. Group basics, etc.
As it was winding down I announced Roy Blackwell was
next.
I decided to have some fun with it. (which as it
turned out was a very bad idea).
’
I told the group Roy had just returned to karate, choosing to stop to play
football for his school team. So for deciding to stop karate training I think
it would be reasonable for him to pay for that choice and have him break a
board with his forehead.’
I stood before Roy, holding the board in my hands.
He prepared himself, then suddenly drove his head forward, he smashed his head through the board.
But as I was holding the board I clearly saw is was
not his forehead that broke the board, instead he did a face break. It was his face I saw breaking the board.
I had Roy return to the group and began my
explanation of the final self defense demonstration that would conclude the
program.
But as I was talking I saw Roy had blood streaming
from both nostrils. I realized I had to act, and of course it was before
everyone there.
So as I continued with my explanation I began moving
toward Roy. When I reached him I quietly told him he was to leave, enter the
locker room and clean his face and place pressure on his nose to stop the
bleed.
And of course as he was pumped up for the
demonstration he wanted nothing to do with that.
I had to get insistent before he would leave. He did
so.
All the time I had to continue talking to the crowd.
I selected a replacement from the group.
The demonstration concluded the show.
I then went into the locker room to find Roy had
stopped his nose from bleeding. I also got an explanation from him as to what
happened.
It
turned out Roy had a new girlfriend in the audience. He had her come there to show off his karate.
I learned a very big lesson that day, Never, never….
never let a student suggest you change your planned program for them.
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