By Master Ron Gatewood
If you miss a punch during your workout, do you stop and ask your opponent to throw it again – so you can do it just right? Then when you do it ‘just right” do you feel good and think to yourself “That’s the way it should be!”?
Well, if you do you are cheating yourself because the street punk won’t honor your request to “throw it again”. In a fight you may get hit, miss a block, slip, stumble, or fall, but you must recover.
How do you train to recover? – Just do it – do it each time you make a mistake. If your opponent comes through your block continue to move your head or body away from his attack. Follow up with a counter attack and continue until you are satisfied you would have won. Practice with intent. I’ve seen students working out by throwing punches that look as though they would bounce off a butterfly. They smile and laugh and their mind is not on what they are doing.
Practice like you mean it, visualize your kicks and punches doing damage. If something goes wrong, correct it and no matter what happens you don’t stop.
The main goal in practice is to train your subconscious mind to carry the fight to its conclusion. Just like inputting information into a computer, if you put garbage in you will have “garbage out”. To benefit from your workout, you must only input quality reactions into your mind so when the time comes your opponent’s defeat will be eminent.
The way you train dictates the fighter you will become.
3 comments
Carlos Jorge
I am reading your book I bought 2nd hand (Basic 45 Lessons) which is also autographed by you. I read the Foreword by your student Barbara Wallace and the situation which happened to you in your garage. I can emphasize with your situation and understand some of what you went through. It has given me insight and inspiration , since I have a similar experience. If I may share my story.
In 2016 I went to the VA emergency because of my legs feeling wet and cold. After an MRI they told me they didn’t know how I walked in, that I should be a paraplegic because my spinal cord was 70% compressed.
After a laminectomy from C2 to C7 they moved my spinal cord to relieve the pressure. Afterwards, I had to learn how to stand and walk again. My arms and hands also had to learn how to work. I was basically a 19 months paraplegic. Luckily for me I never felt sorry for myself, after taking therapy with our young warriors who came back from war far worse than me at such young ages. My fiance had to push me around the VA in a wheelchair . After 30 months if therapy I could walk wobly in a walker and hold a cup in my hand. Fast forward, I am 71 and going to Sansoo lessons with Master Ed Mattson in Pahrump Nv and taking private lessons to avoid injuries to my cervical spine by students who would not be aware of my history. He is going out of his way to accommodate me and is helping me further my rehab.
I can function at 40 -50% of my physical prior self.
In closing, I feel that with Sansoo I will be able to defend myself in this current crimal environment we live in. Four months ago a 85 year old gentleman was knocked unconscious just walking into a grocery store by a young man he never met. You’re never too old to think you’re safe!Not gonna be me!
If you read this far thank you for sharing your lessons, and inspiration. I didn’t write this looking for sympathy, only to express that a little inspiration can travel a long way! Thanks again.
Barbara Wallace
Hi Carlos,
This is Barbara….I am not very responsible about checking this site and because of your message I will be sure to check it on a regular basis each week…I truly need a ten year old to help me through it.
You definitely know what it is like to suffer a traumatic injury that changes your life. I am happy to hear that you are carefully studying San Soo so you can surprise some bad guy that might think he can take advantage of you. Good for you and good for your Instructor for taking the extra time to be aware of potential complications. You are right that we are never too old to learn and never too old to be a victim.
Ron is 83 and isn’t moving as he used to but I know he can do a number on someone who might think he is just some slow moving old guy to attack! If you want to talk to Ron I can give you his number or you can give me your number. I know that talking with someone who has experienced a similar type of recovery makes a world of difference. I remember watching his face light up when he started talking to another guy who had had a quadruple bypass! I was happy that he made a connection and I bet you and he would make a connection as well.
Here is my personal email: polygrapher@netzero.net
You can contact me there and I will definitely be responsive as I check it a couple times a day.
I will also copy and paste your message into an email for Ron as he doesn’t access the website…he leaves it for me…and I need to do better.
Take very good care of yourself,
Barbara
Merle Long
Hi Master, Wallace. I spoke with Master, Gatewood back in 2015 concerning kungfu san soo training as a blind person. I had previously trained with Frank in Downey, back in the early 70’s. Re-tarted the journey in 2015 and stopped to under go a trippel bypass. Seventy one this last may and starting back. Great to read that master Gatewood is 83 and doing as well as can be. Take care and God bless the both of you.