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Kicking Your Students; Abuse or Training?
Posted by: John W. Zimmer
Under: karate
24 Sep 2008
24 Sep 2008
I read with interest this story about a lady karate instructor training her students to take kicks. Apparently she challenged her students to see who could take the most kicks. A kid wound up with blood in his urine and she (the karate instructor) was charged and acquitted of child abuse. In this post I will review this story and point out the pros and cons of some types of conditioning. I will also examine what I think of this case (based on the limited information in the article) as well as what I believe optimal training for children should be.
I remember when I was first starting karate, learning how to punch into pads and toughening my hands in buckets of sand. I had to practice inward blocks with partners so I could block harder. I was taught that the body could be toughened up so one could fight better. I do remember taking some kicks and punches as part of that process. As I moved to non-traditional styles (Kenpo Karate), I noted the focus went from deadening my senses (ostensibly to take pain) to learning how to connect with kicks and punches. I did not have to break boards but rather score points on my opponents! Here is one video I found of an apparent Muy Tai boy learning how to take kicks and punches.
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