Amos Stevens said:NO snarling or arguing with the Sensei TD
Yeah, well... not verbally, anyhow!
Decided to try the Wednesday night class tonight. We have this partially disabled guy in class who is a black belt (or at least a 1st kyu, therefore entitled to wear a hakama). I hate working with him. He's too rough, and doesn't respect the limitations of those with less experience or with injuries.
For example, while I was waiting for the "all clear" from the therapist for my injury, I wasn't, as you know, doing any falling down. He kept trying to force me to fall down, regardless. He also knows I have limited flexibility in my joints, that when I'm on the floor and locked in a pin, I can't flex as far as the others can. He'll take my arm and perform the pin faster than I can slap the mat. Also, I tend to do the techniques more slowly so that I can work on relaxing my body and not injure myself. Tonight, he yanked my elbow so hard I had to take myself out of practice for a few minutes, and for the rest of the session, I couldn't really participate fully because any torque on that elbow resulted in excruciating pain.
He has also, in recent days, refused to wear his hakama, and that's pissed off our dojo's sensei. I get the impression it's a sign of disrespect, not to wear your hakama if you've earned the right to wear it.
It was a very uncomfortable session, because another student also flat-out refused to work with him, for the same reason as me - he's too rough, and he doesn't respect his partner.
The instructor for tonight's session made a point - a general point, not a specific one, to him - about respecting one's partner especially if there's an injury involved. Of course he used me as the example. We were doing sankyo, and he demo'd on me that it wasn't necessary to be rough with uke, especially if uke has an injury. As uke, I, of course was protecting myself from incurring further injury, so in response to his very slight movement, I had to adjust myself so I didn't hurt myself, which, of course put me off balance, and down I went - painlessly.
Again, things I have to work on - relaxing, getting in the right position, breathing - all come to bear when it's my turn to be uke. I'm just not ready yet to have all of those things happen at once at precisely the right moment without having to stop and think about it.
It's just this one guy. Clearly, he's having issues with something. I've tried to be patient, but I also don't want to be taken out by another injury, especially to my elbows, where I might end up having to have surgery.
I'm at a loss, at the moment, to know what to do. I don't want to start refusing to have him as a partner, but I don't think I can take any more of the damage he's been inflicting on me (I've had other injuries, mostly severe bruising, from his brute force approach to partnering during the techniques).
On the good news side, a comment I received this evening about my progress was quite positive. Apparently, I'm a good attacker - I punch or cut like I mean it (which sometimes gets me into trouble with my partner, if they haven't worked with me before. That's why I always do everything slow. With intent, but slow!). My ukemi, as limited as it is, is getting better. (It's weird that I can do one of the advanced backward falls, but still can't do a simple backward roll! Typical of me, that.) I'm falling more softly (although my shoulders are STILL killing me from Monday's class). And some techniques I am beginning to do very well.
So I'm moving forward, slowly. Patience is the keyword here. And am trying not to get frustrated with a body that just doesn't want to co-operate.
-TD, who might look like the Michelin man's girlfriend in her gi, but has joints the Man of Steel couldn't bend
