A great reply

I don't know how many of you read the comments posted to my blog. I love to get your comments (whether they're posted on my blog, emailed to me, or just given to me at all-belts class). There are so many things I'm trying to figure out about TKD. It really helps to have your input!

A comment I found expecially helpful recently was the one by TKDRocker, who left a long and very thoughtful comment after that long and very anguished post I made about self-defense.

She had this to say about visualizing attacks by men one trusts:

To answer your question, "how do I know for sure who I can and can't trust", you really can't know for certain until its to the point where using self-defense is vital. For example, what if someone's husband, who is usually as meek as a kitten, comes home drunk and mad one night and decides to take it out on his wife? She would never have expected him to act this way, but she has enough common sense to "disable" him and get out of there.

I liked this because it was a thought I've had, but never really been able to articulate. Apparently, they talk about this in their class.

Master Hughes says they talk about "date rape" situations in the Women's Self-Defense class, but he doesn't like to include it when children are in class. Why not, though? Most children who are abducted also know their abductor.

TKD Rocker also said that her TKD teacher talks about how you need to trust your intuition (he calls it "spider sense"!) because that can often help you predict when things aren't going to be friendly. I'm glad to hear someone talk about intuition. I think it's key to my sparring style. Thinking about intuition could also help me be more comfortable with self-defense.

Finally, she had this insight about pain.

I think its important as a Taekwondo student to experience a little pain and know how to deal with it. My school uses pressure points for this purpose. They hurt when they are applied, but the pain immediately goes away once the pressure is lifted. They also work in real-life situations . . . My philosophy is that if we are somewhat used to and comfortable with a little bit of pain, then it won't come as so much of a surprise if/when we are actually attacked.

I'd never thought about this before, but it makes sense to me!

(If any of you haven't visited TKDRocker's Blog, you might want to! She's not blogging very much recently, but her posts are fun, thoughtful, and articulate.)

I'm glad to be part of a wider nework of martial artists--those of you who read and post to my blog and those who write on Karateforums.com. I learn lots from my classmates and teachers at the dojang, and then I learn more (and different things) through e-conversations with those I'll never spar!