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?

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

There's a fire station across the street.

The people in the last test were the luckiest ever -- a doctor (and a dentist, now that I think about it) was among the candidates. But he got knocked out, so he had to stop taking the test. Okay, he wasn't lucky, but they were, because he stayed around and dispensed emergency first aid as required. I may need to find a med student who'll be all ready to go by the time I might get to test.