Kenpo Drama (true)

**pittfrog** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:32pm

This all starts innocently enough: I wanted my 5 year old son to learn a bit of self defense, while also getting fit, and learning all of the stuff that TMAs can teach like discipline, focus, yada yada yada. I take my son to a local EPAK school. The instructors were good with kids, my son liked it, and my wife and I both noticed a difference in my son's concentration and coordination. Good stuff.

As I sit watching my son's class, my thoughts turn increasingly to my own middle-aged, now fat ass. I make some inquiries about adult classes. I start going to the adult classes 4x a week, and the classes have a radical effect on me. I lose 25lbs, and am enjoying the hell out of it. Sparring is no gear, except for mouth pieces and some pretty thin gloves, and includes takedowns and ground stuff (although there is zero instruction in any sort of ground game). Some of the sparring got moderately intense, but it was all in good fun (I thought).

The Kenpo curriculum I could take or leave. The techniques were mostly bullshit(or so it seemed to me--I acknowledge that I am/was a noob); the practicing in the air or on compliant targets did little to make me a better fighter. I also doubted that all but the most basic Kenpo techniques could ever possibly be executed in a real fight, unless your opponent was drugged or sleeping. However, the conditioning and the sparring were fun, and my son was going there (I was having sappy father son krotty dreams) so I stuck with it.

One of the instructors had a wrestling background. When wrestler-sensei would spar with me (I have zero ground fighting/grappling experience) he would go to the ground ASAP. He'd stay in a low stance, shoot for my legs, take me down, and it would be over. I got kind of tired of this, as it just seemed like bullying. I didn't learn anything from getting owned on the ground, without practicing ground techniques.

So, I'm sparring Wrestler-sensei, and he shoots for my legs, for the millionth time. Only this time, he does so at pretty much the same moment as I'm throwing a front kick off my rear leg. I hear a sickening crunch, and this guy goes down to the mat. Essentially, as he was ducking quickly to tie up my legs, his face and the very top of my knee meet at very high speed. There is a ton of blood coming from his forehead. When I see the wound, I see that I caught him right between his eyebrows. He has a nasty 2-3 inch cut right between his eyes, and it looks quite deep. I have a nasty bruise too, right at the very top of my kneecap, but clearly the other guy got the worst of it.

WS collapsed immediately, and went to the ER. I go home, but am so concerned for the guy, that I go to the hospital to see how he is. I meet WS’ mother at the hospital: "Hi, nice to meet you. I am the guy who kneed your son in the face and put him here in the hospital." It was easily one of the most uncomfortable introductions in my adult life. I call the school the next morning to find out how the guy is; he has a concussion, and got a bunch of stitches in his face.

When I'm talking to the instructor about the incident, I apologized profusely. I genuinely felt terrible about hurting the guy. I describe what happened to the best of my recollection. The instructor says he wants me to take some time off. No problem, I understand. Honestly I want the time off, as hurting the guy that badly kind of freaked me out.

I call my instructor back after a few days, and it becomes clear over several conversations that my "time off" may be permanent; I may not be able to come back to class at that school. Apparently WS does not feel safe with me. My instructor also brings up incidents in which I have bruised other students in sparring. I remind him of the fat lip, black eye, pinched nerve in my shoulder, bruised ribs, and sore throat that lasted for two weeks after a rear naked choke that I received in sparring. Many of my injuries came at the hands of the school’s instructors. The lead instructor claimed to have been unaware of any of my injuries. To be fair, I had never complained about any of them, although the fat lip, and black eye should have been pretty obvious.

To make a long story short, my time off stretched to a month. I call regularly, but it’s always not the right time yet, WS needs more time to think. I do some research, and find a nearby school that teaches Kali and Muay Thai. I call the instructor of my Kenpo school, and tell him that I want the suspension to be over, as I am going elsewhere for training. The new school teaches me very little BS, and the conditioning portion of the training at the new school is even better. My son continues to go to the Kenpo. Eventually, I meet up with WS when I take my kid to class. I apologize to him, we shake hands, and that’s it. Everybody’s happy.

Looking back though, I'm kind of pissed about the whole thing. While I feel badly about hurting that guy, I essentially think he executed a technique for which he didn't have the right position, and ate my knee for his trouble. While I didn't intentionally knee him (really, I didn't) as a 5 year student of Kenpo and a veteran of many more sparring matches than I, he should have anticipated that his face would be open. While leaving the school was ultimately the best thing for me, the principle of being asked to leave because someone else fucked up annoys the hell out of me.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story (it’s true). I await your flames.

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:38pm

Originally Posted by pittfrog

When I'm talking to the instructor about the incident, I apologized profusely. I genuinely felt terrible about hurting the guy. I describe what happened to the best of my recollection. The instructor says he wants me to take some time off. No problem, I understand. Honestly I want the time off, as hurting the guy that badly kind of freaked me out.

I call my instructor back after a few days, and it becomes clear over several conversations that my "time off" may be permanent; I may not be able to come back to class at that school. Apparently WS does not feel safe with me.

Sounds like WS is a giant ***** that infact has a *****. Find an MMA school where they allow you to hit people who do shitty double leg takedowns.

**FictionPimp** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:41pm

I find it rare that anyone shoots for a takedown and does not lead with their face. Its the nature of the movement. The trick is having a good angle so you are not vulnerable to attack. I took an accidental knee at the Chicago throwdown during a very piss poor take down attempt. It was incidental contact (no knee's or elbows allowed) and basically I was out of it for a good 15 seconds. Had their been an attempt to actually injure me with a kick or a knee I'm sure I would of been out cold.

The experience lead me to be more determined in improving my clinch game and no-gi judo style throws.

**pittfrog** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:48pm

I'd agree about the leading with his face in the takedown, except that given the position we were in, aiming his face toward the leg that I had to the rear seemed like a poor choice. Had he gone for the forward leg, my knee couldn't have traveled nearly as far, and he most likely would not have a scar on his face.

**Odacon** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:53pm

Seems like a the instructor was on better terms with the wrestling guy than you and got rid of you to save him some embarresment. In any case, you didn't go off and sulk and you ended up training elsewhere, so fair play.

**ginshun** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:57pm

Sounds to me like you are better off without that school or puss boy WS. It was a friggen accident for gods sake.

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:59pm

Name of school and website please.

**Axelton** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 12:59pm

that wrestler sensei needs to man up and realize that it ultimatley was his fault that the whole thing happened. also it was their idea to not wear gear.

**pittfrog** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 1:07pm

Forgive me for not posting the name and URL of the school, but my kid still goes there(my wife wants him to continue there). While I think the adult training there sucks, and am not in love with the instructors, they are good with and for my kid. I've read enough Bullshido threads which have turned into real life investigations and online jihads against schools that I'm loathe to open that can of worms on a school my kid still attends.

It's a Kenpo school in Western Pennsylvania, and that's as far as I'll go.

**Boyd** · Posted On: 11/16/2006 1:08pm

Does no one else notice the convoluted paradigm shift of a Kempo instructor expelling a student for thwarting a wrestler's takedown with a knee strike?