Yoshinkan In The Real World

We spend hours in the dojo sweating and training.  We follow traditions and rituals and prescribed rituals.  Most of us will never have call to use the skills that we have learned.  Others….

Those that have read my about page will know that I am a paramedic in a major metrpolitan city.  Many people may be unaware of the volotile scenes that paramedics are faced with day to day.  On a recent shift I was called into just such a volitile scene.  We were called to an emotionaly upset and “chemicaly enhanced” patient.  The call was placed from a third party in another city.  Our patient had no idea that we were being summond to his residence.  We were greated by his wife and infant daughter.  The wife told me that our patient was very upset and had a strong propensity to violence and would without question fight with us if he knew we were there.

Here is the dilemma.  Do we leave the wife and infant home alone with a violent, “chemically enhanced”  person who has made staements to a family member preffessing his intent on violence or do we run away and wait for police.  As I spoke to the wife, our patient suddenly appeared.  We were both “Shanghaied”.

My patient quickly became aggressive and confrontational.  He was not willing to listen to any form of calming talk or reasoning.  Police were no where in sight.  Withing seconds he dropped his dominant foot back and swung.  Without thought or reasoning I was able to enter into his strike blocking it and executed a gentle rotary throw that sent my assailant off the porch and into the shruberry below.  He did not know what I technique I was going to execute and as in light of fact neither did I, yet I was still able to send him to the ground safely and defeated.

Causing injury to this person, even in self defence, would most certainly have had repurcutions for me.  Thanks to my training with Yoshinkan Aikido I was able to go home to my wife and children safely and avoid legal repercussions.