Lack of Weapon Control

During today's class we did a bit of extra work on weapons. During the class I remembered an incident that occured at a tournament about 4 or 5 years ago. As usual I was acting as a judge in one of the rings but the next ring was open so some students were using it to warm up and get a bit of last minute practice in. As my ring wrapped up I told the other judges to take a quick break before the next division started. As I was walking to the organizer's table, one of the students in the next ring stabbed his spear right at my face. I reacted and grabbed the spear head just before it stuck me in the face. The student stopped practicing but probably did not realize that a slower reaction would have ended up with him stabbing a person in the face. I have a few thoughts on this incident.

• First, the student was not taught proper respect for martial arts as it was clear that he was using the open ring as a chance to show off his techniques.
  
• Next, the student was not properly taught by his instructor. This was not a junior student and he should have known to be aware of his surroundings, especially when performing weapons forms.
• The student showed little respect for other competitors as he flung his weapon around without regard for the other students that were stretching and warming up.
• No student is good enough to utilize stabbing techniques without looking - there has to be something wrong with either the way he was taught or the way he learned.

I would like to stress that those performing weapons must be aware of their surroundings as well as understanding the distance required to perform techniques without placing anyone in danger. The person practicing the weapon form is responsible for control of their weapon.