Ernest Cadorin

Comedy Club Uppercut

2019/12/21

No Laughing Matter

Many years ago, I attended a corporate social event at a comedy club. I didn’t actually work for the company that had organized it, but I was invited along as someone’s guest. After the comedy show had ended, we filed out of the theatre area and into a crowded lobby.

One of the guys in our group had become a little rambunctious by that point in the evening, and for no apparent reason, he suddenly turned to the person nearest to him and took a swing at him. As it turned out, that innocent bystander was me!

It was an uppercut to the middle, so I turned my body out of the way as I blocked the punch. He was definitely surprised by the block – I remember him muttering, “whoa, blocked!?” as he stared at my arm for a moment. A couple of his friends apologized to me on his behalf, and that was the end of that. No harm, no foul.

The incident was not a big deal (really), but it nevertheless harboured a few instructive elements that I think are worth pointing out:

    • It’s safe to say that between the element of surprise and the confined space we were in, my block was not picture-perfect! However, getting back to the topic of my previous post, I can at least say that my movements were principled. I kept my targets safe, I stayed balanced, and I blocked with accuracy and kime. As a result, the defence was effective.

    • Sensei often says that one strong block might be all you need to stop an aggressor. That was certainly the case in this instance. A firm block sends an unmistakable message to the attacker – a message that says you will not be a victim.

    • A non-violent solution should always be our first option. I’m sure I would have been within my rights to follow up my block with a counterattack, but given the circumstances, it just wasn’t necessary. Afterall, we are studying martial arts not so that we can hurt or bully others, but rather to make ourselves stronger so that we will be better able to help others.

I’m glad to report that after that night, I got invited to many more of their social outings. Sometimes it pays to let things slide!