[nbotary]

BadBoy - that was my point about the difference between confidence and arrogance. I know a lot of students who are great at forms and have a clean technique. However, you put them in a "live" situation and they freeze up and get their ass kicked every time.

The way I see it is that if you teach someone a specific technique, you have to present them with the opportunity to do that technique so that it becomes "natural". What good would it do you and/or your student to teach them how block and counter and you don't give them opportunity to use it???

I think what you did was great. As a student, sometimes it just takes a little reassurance that you're going to be okay. Sifu Bolt and Bloodybirds are great about letting you actually hit them when sparring. They do it to help build confidence in what you've learned and to let you "see and feel" your technique. They also use techniques that are slightly above your skill level in order to gauge what you need to focus on learning/correcting.

It sounds like you're a good and patient coach. I hope your students are as excited to learn from you as you are to teach them.

Tease - I agree that if the guy is a badass, he's got the right to brag. But, how oftern do you see a fighter like that get his ass royally handed to him and become humble??? Moreover, could you or would you want to learn from a teacher or student like that??? My first Tai Chi/Kung Fu teacher is a senior student/instructor with Sifu Bolt (he taught outside of Sifu Bolt's class). He has a MASSIVE ego. He is good at what he does and could mop the floor with me. However, I began to notice that I was picking up his ego and thought that I was a badass. It only took a couple of classes with some of Sifu Bolt's instructors to be put in check and realize that I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

If I remember right, in Tao of Jeet Kune Do there is a saying that goes, "Don't speak of your strengths or weaknesses lest they both be tested." The best MA is the humble MA.

Personally, if I knew or thought I was a badass and was talking shit and trying to start a fight with someone who was or became very quiet and calm, that would undermine my confidence and rattle me more than anything. Empty cans rattle the loudest.