When I was in high school, a friend and I were over at my girlfriend's house. For some reason I let myself fall backwards. My friend (for some even stranger reason) put his foot behind mine, preventing me from putting my foot behind me to catch myself. I reached behind me to break my fall, and my hand caught the end of a pan of roast beef, flipping it into the air and all over the kitchen floor. My GF was really mad at both of us, so my friend stormed off and started walking home. I drove out and picked him up and drove him home.

That's all there is to the story. I think I needed one or two more odd things to happen to make the story a classic... or interesting, for that matter.

I could have possibly used the opportunity MM's gaping astonishment to beat the ever lovin' snot out of him, had I not been stunned into gaping astonishment myself.

Heh. I've had moments like that. In fact one involving sparring with shinai, actually. I was getting driven back and tripped over a divot in the yard. Without thinking I did a complete backwards roll and smoothly came back to my feet with the shinai at the ready. Both I and the friend I was sparring with just stood there staring at each other going "I can't believe I/you just did that."

you drove home the friend who basically tripped you? I would have possibly chased him down in the car.

One of our funnest drills at krav (when my back is good) is the diving roll for weapon -- either gun or knife. It's a lot easier to throw your head at the floor when prezzies are involved.

But it's a real roll and a fake knife. Hardly seems fair.

But it's a real roll and a fake knife. Hardly seems fair.

I read this as "But it's a real doll and a fake knife." Was horribly confused.

Well, what made it even more surprising is I normally suck at rolling. At least coming from a standing position. If I'm already on the ground I'm okay. I just have a lot of trouble getting my head to go below my feet. Same reason I can't dive into water.

So I did a threadsuck and my scan for ND and I found this

I would have sympathy for ND (Noise Design! We is talking about you.) behind this, if he wasn't getting all the tall-dark-and-scrumptuous vote as it was.

Um, was there some kind of voting that I missed. If so, I think we need a group vision plan here.

Good to be back home.

But it's a real roll and a fake knife. Hardly seems fair.

You gotta earn the privilege of playing with real knives. And don't think people don't -- the part of a putative black belt test I'm least looking forward to? Defending against live knife.

Both I and the friend I was sparring with just stood there staring at each other going "I can't believe I/you just did that."

Yeah, that was the reaction.

the part of a putative black belt test I'm least looking forward to? Defending against live knife.

Will they have a medic on hand to stitch you up, if needs be?