Karate

Now I can understand why practicing the kick to the groin would be useful, I think anyone can understand that. But that should be saved for real-life self-defense training, right?

I heard this from my friend that sometimes in class the guys end up getting kicked in the groin and even with a cup they say it hurts. She said it's a great spot to kick - well duh. She didnt say more about it and I didnt ask so maybe it was just accident after unintentional accident (poor kick control), but if not - if it's an intentional thing - then my thinking in sparring is that if you decide to come at me with an attack intended to double me over instead of deciding to spar with me on moves karate has taught, then forget ma altogether cause I'm coming at you with an attack to make you double over. I dont care if you're a 5'4" 120lb girl or a 6'4" 255lb guy like me. You no longer deserve a pass or to keep the belt you earned.

I'll say again for those who dont know me, I'm not a ma practitioner of any kind. And I'll say it, I have trouble confronting my violent side - I'm not violent mainly cause I've had too much of that in my past - so maybe I lack that combative mindset. But I'd consider the groin area off limits in sparring and even kumite, but maybe that's cause I dont understand the "rules of the ring". So to me I'd kinda lose it cause to me it's not a sparring move, it's a personal attack.

Granted a guy needs to learn to defend against it, but still it shouldnt be a "free kick' zone for the opponent in a regulated match. A martial arts discipline is not primarily taken for real-life self defense, a self-defense class is. In ma you're in it for years, so you'd be in the wrong class if your intent is to learn self-defense like groin kicks and whatnot. If you want to learn self-defense you want to learn it now cause you feel you have a need to learn it now, so you take a self-defense class so you can learn what works immediately.

Physically speaking ma is a sport with competitions like kata and kumite (spelling??), or taken as an exercise like going to the gym. Either way it's an undertaking of slow progression and discipline. So why when sparring would groin kicks be allowed? Or are they? Are they in your class or is there a rule against them?

Certainly not, nor would I hope they would be.

Let me tell you what I'm seeing right now in my head more than with any other post: We're all sitting around a table, you, me and a bunch of other people who haven’t spoken, men, women, instructors, and most everyone’s in ma; In fact everyone is, except me. So maybe my question is naïve, but nonetheless we talk about it, and I appreciate that. Thank you.

And now the topic's hit a lull. And though all the men know exactly the pain and vulnerability we’ve talked about, none of the women have decided to speak. I think that’s interesting. They’re the ones often attacking that spot.

I imagine if we were in a circle or at a table a few of us would notice none of the women spoke up. I imagine a few of us would like to hear from a few because in fact their mindset may generally be different. At any rate their silence is noticeable.

Let me put it a different way: Why am I asking the question? I thought the topic important enough that I’d try to spread an awareness that the women may not fully appreciate unless it were done to them.

Obviously that's not possible; hence, my curiosity at their silence. Do they appreciate the potential devastation of that attack? Perceptually they might, on the side of their mind they might, but probably not front and center like a man. Police train with pepper spray to the face so the user may know exactly how it feels. Every trainee, male and female, becomes aware of that equally.

So for a kick to the man’s groin I’d use an analogy everyone could appreciate equally. My idea being that there are no men or woman in ma; there are only students.

I’d equate a kick in the groin to a poke in the eye: easily accomplished, without much force, to a vulnerable spot, and devastating to all the senses. Might the other sex be a bit more respectful to what they may consider a casual though devastating attack if they too had the mental picture of getting poked in the eye?

Might then the sparring matches be more productive and safe for everyone? After all it is practice, not personal and all about discipline. I imagine the instructor wants everyone to show up the next day 100% ready to go.

Thank you, Justice, I was not clear enough before in my post. I was clumsy Thanks for asking for clarification.

If we were actually at the table I’d use that analogy so everyone is aware and everyone is on the same page of how devastating that attack is, especially the women. Some, though I guarantee not all women have that particular perspective. And before sparring think everyone should have the same perspective.