Twisting in the Wind

[calimary]

58. Hey, I've often talked about sparring class and what it taught me about

not allowing myself to be distracted by "shiny objects" or, in the case of one unfamiliar sparring partner, fluttering fingers way off to the side furiously trying to get me to look over there, so he could come around with a hook or uppercut from the other direction and thereby nail me.

I've told that story before. Working toward my black belt about 20 years ago, I had to take a different adult class one evening because I had an appointment that morning that prevented me from attending my usual morning class. In that evening class, I was paired up with a different opponent I'd never met before, a 20-something guy who was strong, nimble, and an obviously careful and meticulous student. We started in on our sparring match, and I tried valiantly to hold him off and deflect and bob 'n' weave and all that. I tried to keep my eyes focused on the middle of his chest. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I became aware that he'd stretched his arm WAY out to his side and was wildly flapping and waving his hand and wiggling his fingers. I instantly suspected he was trying to get me to glance over there and "watch the birdie" because then, WHAM, his other fist could come around from the opposite side, while I was looking away, and nail me. I decided not to take the bait. Kept focusing right there on the money spot (center of his chest) and just kept jabbing. That's really all I could think of, to do. One of our sensei's guidelines, that he repeated often, was "keep 'em busy! Keep jabbing! Jab Jab Jab! Keep 'em busy! Keep 'em busy!" So that's what I did.

And I outlasted him. Furthermore, he only tried that trick once. Didn't attempt it again because he quickly surmised that it wasn't gonna work on me. He was at least half my age, strong and fit as could be, and - sorry to sound sexist here but - I found something consistent in all the karate classes: the boys and the men liked the sparring parts more, while the girls and the women, myself included, preferred the forms parts. And since the boys and the men liked the sparring parts more, they tended to be better at it and more enthusiastic about it. I HATED sparring. And I felt like it wasn't one of my strengths, since I LOVED-LOVED-LOVED the forms. But to climb up the belt ladder toward black belt, sparring was required as part of the curriculum. At least we were well-padded.

But the point was: STAY FOCUSED. DON'T let yourself become distracted. DON'T pay any attention to the side crap or the shiny object or the fluttering fingers way over there or the distraction that breaks your concentration or tempts you to run off on some wild goose chase. EYES ON THE PRIZE. MAN is that ever true! And for me, anyway, it was an excellent metaphor that I discovered was perfectly applicable to many other things and realms than just sparring class. STAY FOCUSED. DON'T GET DISTRACTED. EYES ON THE PRIZE.

Robert Mueller would probably be an ACE sparring partner. Maybe even LETHAL.