Two Minutes In The Martial Arts

The dojo was already quiet when my name was called out, expecting a bit of surprise, but I was ready.

Ready for something, even if I didn’t directly know what.

The ability to read the air, sense hidden change is an important part of the movement.

The instructions were simple, start in the center of the dojo, and for the next two minutes avoid getting hit. I could use any footwork, sabaki-gata, or kamae that I wanted, but I was *not* allowed to counter, block, or take any other direct action.

Don’t get hit.

A moment later the senior students circled around me and the punches started coming in. I did my best moving and keeping the minimum of them behind me, they did their best keeping my in the center of the dojo so I could be surrounded.

I ate a lot of punches, but many of them I avoided just be moving.

Two minutes in the dojo is an eternity, those outside of the ‘arts can’t really understand the intensity of a minute when you are moving and trying not to get hit. That is hard enough even with good cardio, but as soon as you take a solid hit, breathing patterns get interrupted and it becomes harder and harder to stay in sync.

Was I ready for part 2?

There is a part two?

I only had a handful of seconds to reset as the floor was reset, and there is another teaching to be found in this. In those brief moments, maybe twenty or thirty seconds when something isn’t happening one has to reset the breath and get back in sync quickly, as best they can.

Same drill as before, only this time it was for one minute, so it should be easier right?

Only addition is that this time I was not allowed to step or move my lower body in any way. As I was told this one of the senior students took down the heavy bag from the corner and laid it across my feet to keep my in place.

All I could do was move my hips and upper body.

I ate most if not all of the punches that came in, but to my credit I did avoid a couple of them.

The lessons?

Before we even do any martial arts, just moving around makes things much more difficult for teki.

When things start moving, make sure you start moving.

Never remain in place.

It’s harder to hit a moving target.