So to sum it up: today I was going to a karate class. (I am brown belt) As per usual, the class went through drills, then we proceeded to lessons, then sparring.
During sparring, I was matched with a new kid I had never seen before, most likely he had transferred from a different school. During sparring, I was matched up with him.
Now, in our school, control is very much emphasized. You have to be able to go within an inch of other people WITHOUT hitting them. (contact is prohibited in all tournaments, you have to come within an inch or two, and prove you are capable of hitting them) I am a very defensive fighter, preferring to wait out my opponent, bait them forwards, and put a kick in front of them. In a normal case, I would stop with my leg bent, SHOWING I could stop them but not actually kicking them.
In this case, the new kid barged forward through my kick (he was relatively big and heavy) and just slugs me in the stomach as hard as he can. (note: it really hurt) I am a really skinny person, and rely on either blocking them, kiting back, or stopping them with a kick to the face. I am not suited to getting up in their face or trying to use my arms (too short)
Bill Gates -
Life is not fair; get used to it.
But I want to not get hit here.
I’m not trying to be salty here, or trying to get sympathy. Basically, I want some advice: what am I supposed to do in this situation? When there is this person who doesn’t follow the rules, should I just deal with it and try not to get injured? Should I ask if I can spar someone else? Should I fight fire with fire, and try to kick him as hard as I can to stop him from attacking me? I really don’t know what to do here, and I really don’t want to be hit again.
