Tales for the Halloween Season

 

A Karate Camp Horror Story 

I have seen this happen and heard of this happening. Let me relate the first version of a Karate (Martial Arts) summer camp. It is not related to a specific style, rather the differences between modern karate training mixing with older days.

 

Itoman Morinobu describes of older Toudi training. Filled with much richer training practices of years past. When training might have taken place in forests or outside of a formal dojo. When environmental conditions were taken into account for technique selection. Likewise low level lighting was taken into account, from those days before modern lighting. It doesn’ suggest tolally dojo training and lighting of today’s schools.

 

One summer this school held an annual summer training at a campground. One of their drills was a ‘Ninja’ war game in the dark. Sneaking about, attacking the others in the ‘other’ group.

 

Well one dark night they played their game. One of the students was doing their best to be stealthy. Then they observed someone crouching down by a tree.

 

They did not appear aware of him. So he snuck up and got in range. Still they did not turn. They were unaware.

  

So he used his best front kick, and kicked toward the opponent. Then they began screaming bloody murder.

 

The opponent hiding in the dark, was a boulder. And they broke their leg.

 

Their training did not cover observing what they saw. A big mistake.

 

What was meant to be a fun drill, turned into an expensive stay in the hospital, rehab and all the rest.

 

As I have said I have other examples.

 

Instructors should be more careful, I would suggest.

 

 

The instructor should be wary

 

A friend of mine, just completed teaching a beginners private lesson. This was back in the early days of the Kung Fu tv show.

 

There were some potential students at the school door, so he began to walk across the school to greet them. Not thinking about the other beginner who had finished his lesson.

 

The beginner having watched too many Kung Fu episodes, thought that he was to unexpectedly attack the instructor to learn a further lesson He kicked the instructor in the leg from behind.

 

He broke the instructors leg, and it was a year before the cast was removed.

 

Lesson. Never take your eyes off a beginner.

 

 

 

The Dexter

 

Long, long ago there was a beginner names Dexter.

 

One class he was having a difficult time with one drill.

 

It was stepping and throwing a reverse uppercut.

 

Finally the instructor told him to leave the group and move before the mirror and work on the uppercut as if he was striking into his own jaw.

 

Then the class continued.

 

Later the instructor looked back at Dexter, and his jaw dropped.

 

For Dexter was striking into his own jaw with each uppercut thrown.

 

Never, take your eyes off  a beginner.

 

*the names have been changed to protect the guilty.