Hen-party
Yesterday I attended a seminar at another shidoshi-ho's dojo.
The theme was the basics: taihenjutsu plus everybody's own requirements for the next grading. Mainly beginners attended the seminar, I was the only one say "intermediate" level attendee, and also there was a guy who goes for 8th kyu but he was way better than just 8 kyu. So while the others were practising the basic ukemi and such the two of us was put together and we did gyaku gi kihon stuff.
Man, I got so exhausted by the end of the 3 hours training that I was not able to lift my arms above my shoulders. It was a really good training, which exhausted me not only physically but mentally, too. By the end I had a hard time concentrating on what had to be done.
After the training I went out for lunch with two beginner girls from our dojo, as we were about passing out from tiredness and urgently needed some serious stuff to feed on. The instructor recommended a non-stop Pizzeria which we easily found and had a really nice and long lunch there - we spent some 3,5 hours eating-drinking-talking about all the important things of life and training :)
It was really nice to talk for so long, as I managed to get them known a bit more, and found out that they 're just cool. They seem to be very enthusiastic in training, although they have trouble training with guys. They are having the same problems that I had a few years back: guys dare not work with them seriously because of being afraid of hurting them, therefore they try to completely avoid training with girls. I think his is a really serious problem for women who do some martial art, as it hinders them greatly in the learning process. Even tho women have a different body structure, it does not mean that they are not capable to apply the required techniques on a bigger opponent. They are able to do the same techniques, but on a different way, which they have to explore for themselves. But for this some chance should be provided for them.
I had the same problem before however some change in my "strategy" solved the situation, it seems. I was extra careful whoever I was training with, which means that I'd hit them very lightly, and took them to ground very carefully. Now I see that it was wrong, first because my training was far from realistic, second because the guys took the stituation wrong, and they thought that was all I was able to do. Thus they worked with me accordingly, paying extra attention not to "play" with me realistically as "obviously" I would not have been able put on with that. So I had to change the way I practiced with them. I started really throwing them over, really hitting them and not being an "easy prey" when they did a technique on me. It seems that this strategy worked. Since then I did not experience this avoiding attitude. So I recommended the girls to go on and not let themselves to be an easy prey. As Jan told me once: a woman has to work two times harder to be half as much accepted as a man. Unfortunately he was very true. But this is what makes us grow better in martial arts.
I also mentioned that probaly a very high level female instructor will visit to Hungary this year and it would be very recommended to attend that seminar. She is going to show things from women's perspective, showing how to apply the techniques when there is a significant difference between you and your opponent, and what are the attack methods we females can most possibly face in different situations and what kind of defense methods can we apply against them. They got all excited by this news so probably I will not be the only one attending this seminar.
As far as I see there is really a big need to explore those special or uncommon things that women can work with and apply, because of their different makings.
The lunch ended up with having Irish coffee and a really "high" mood at 5 pm.
It must be repeated! :D
The theme was the basics: taihenjutsu plus everybody's own requirements for the next grading. Mainly beginners attended the seminar, I was the only one say "intermediate" level attendee, and also there was a guy who goes for 8th kyu but he was way better than just 8 kyu. So while the others were practising the basic ukemi and such the two of us was put together and we did gyaku gi kihon stuff.
Man, I got so exhausted by the end of the 3 hours training that I was not able to lift my arms above my shoulders. It was a really good training, which exhausted me not only physically but mentally, too. By the end I had a hard time concentrating on what had to be done.
After the training I went out for lunch with two beginner girls from our dojo, as we were about passing out from tiredness and urgently needed some serious stuff to feed on. The instructor recommended a non-stop Pizzeria which we easily found and had a really nice and long lunch there - we spent some 3,5 hours eating-drinking-talking about all the important things of life and training :)
It was really nice to talk for so long, as I managed to get them known a bit more, and found out that they 're just cool. They seem to be very enthusiastic in training, although they have trouble training with guys. They are having the same problems that I had a few years back: guys dare not work with them seriously because of being afraid of hurting them, therefore they try to completely avoid training with girls. I think his is a really serious problem for women who do some martial art, as it hinders them greatly in the learning process. Even tho women have a different body structure, it does not mean that they are not capable to apply the required techniques on a bigger opponent. They are able to do the same techniques, but on a different way, which they have to explore for themselves. But for this some chance should be provided for them.
I had the same problem before however some change in my "strategy" solved the situation, it seems. I was extra careful whoever I was training with, which means that I'd hit them very lightly, and took them to ground very carefully. Now I see that it was wrong, first because my training was far from realistic, second because the guys took the stituation wrong, and they thought that was all I was able to do. Thus they worked with me accordingly, paying extra attention not to "play" with me realistically as "obviously" I would not have been able put on with that. So I had to change the way I practiced with them. I started really throwing them over, really hitting them and not being an "easy prey" when they did a technique on me. It seems that this strategy worked. Since then I did not experience this avoiding attitude. So I recommended the girls to go on and not let themselves to be an easy prey. As Jan told me once: a woman has to work two times harder to be half as much accepted as a man. Unfortunately he was very true. But this is what makes us grow better in martial arts.
I also mentioned that probaly a very high level female instructor will visit to Hungary this year and it would be very recommended to attend that seminar. She is going to show things from women's perspective, showing how to apply the techniques when there is a significant difference between you and your opponent, and what are the attack methods we females can most possibly face in different situations and what kind of defense methods can we apply against them. They got all excited by this news so probably I will not be the only one attending this seminar.
As far as I see there is really a big need to explore those special or uncommon things that women can work with and apply, because of their different makings.
The lunch ended up with having Irish coffee and a really "high" mood at 5 pm.
It must be repeated! :D
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