ilporko
28th March 2008, 03:46 AM
I'm posting this HDGD stuff here, because this is a kendo forum. Mods feel free to move it.
I'm thinking of the value in HDGD right now (see other posts), and I'd like to get a few 'feel good' posts started which glorify kendo, iaido/HDGD/whatever, and provide a bit of inspiration, hopefully, to people who are new to MA.
So, I'd like to describe my 'best' sparring matches in HDGD.
1) My first. Surely that's special? Drawing the gum/sword and going into insa/greeting/bowing, then cutting to sonmok/wrist with one cut, while your opponent gawks at you. Literally, one strike was made in that match. Mine. Perfect cut. I felt it as soon as I drew the gum/sword. The class went wild, and high fived me. even the kwangjangnim/sensei clapped. (In HDGD one clean strike with force and no reply is a win.)
2) I was sparring with another student, and we were both cautious. We had three or four dong-tas (both of us hit at the same time), and then time ran out. I was delighted to have been more cautious, because that was what I was focusing on then.
3) The kwangjangnim. My first time with the master, as he is or she is usually called. But this guy was the reigning Korean champion. The kwangjangnin didn't want to spar me, but he had had a match with everyone else, but me, and it was late, so he wanted to go home. Finally he agreed to spar, and the match started with the subumnin saying 'Shijak (start)'. I just remembered kendo, and jumped, htting the ref, and the kwangjangnim with one cut. The whole class gasped, and applauded, and the 'master' disallowed the cut to his head. So, I hit him five more times, until he hit me so hard I saw stars, and collapsed. The students booed him for being a bad bastard, and he threw his gum/sword down and stormed off. I like to think I shocked him.
4) Team fighting. We usually have one-on-one sparring in dojangs that allow it. But sometimes we have four-on-one sparring, which is really amazing. Then we also have four-v-four sparring. I joined one such group, and made it five-v-four.
My team took the advantage, and split the other team into three and one, so two of us could focus on their one. I was working my way around to hit from 90 degrees (2 people hitting from front and back at the same time are dead in HDGD, because that's what we train in), when the other team realised they were in trouble, and charged us. My bladder nearly leaked at this concerted kihap, and the charge that followed. It was fucking insane. But briliiant, and very effective.
One of our guys got mowed under in the middle of this scream, and then all hell broke loose, with people stabbing every which way, and fighting for a point by any means. This is by far the best sparring match ever, for me.
I'm thinking of the value in HDGD right now (see other posts), and I'd like to get a few 'feel good' posts started which glorify kendo, iaido/HDGD/whatever, and provide a bit of inspiration, hopefully, to people who are new to MA.
So, I'd like to describe my 'best' sparring matches in HDGD.
1) My first. Surely that's special? Drawing the gum/sword and going into insa/greeting/bowing, then cutting to sonmok/wrist with one cut, while your opponent gawks at you. Literally, one strike was made in that match. Mine. Perfect cut. I felt it as soon as I drew the gum/sword. The class went wild, and high fived me. even the kwangjangnim/sensei clapped. (In HDGD one clean strike with force and no reply is a win.)
2) I was sparring with another student, and we were both cautious. We had three or four dong-tas (both of us hit at the same time), and then time ran out. I was delighted to have been more cautious, because that was what I was focusing on then.
3) The kwangjangnim. My first time with the master, as he is or she is usually called. But this guy was the reigning Korean champion. The kwangjangnin didn't want to spar me, but he had had a match with everyone else, but me, and it was late, so he wanted to go home. Finally he agreed to spar, and the match started with the subumnin saying 'Shijak (start)'. I just remembered kendo, and jumped, htting the ref, and the kwangjangnim with one cut. The whole class gasped, and applauded, and the 'master' disallowed the cut to his head. So, I hit him five more times, until he hit me so hard I saw stars, and collapsed. The students booed him for being a bad bastard, and he threw his gum/sword down and stormed off. I like to think I shocked him.
4) Team fighting. We usually have one-on-one sparring in dojangs that allow it. But sometimes we have four-on-one sparring, which is really amazing. Then we also have four-v-four sparring. I joined one such group, and made it five-v-four.
My team took the advantage, and split the other team into three and one, so two of us could focus on their one. I was working my way around to hit from 90 degrees (2 people hitting from front and back at the same time are dead in HDGD, because that's what we train in), when the other team realised they were in trouble, and charged us. My bladder nearly leaked at this concerted kihap, and the charge that followed. It was fucking insane. But briliiant, and very effective.
One of our guys got mowed under in the middle of this scream, and then all hell broke loose, with people stabbing every which way, and fighting for a point by any means. This is by far the best sparring match ever, for me.