Check your ego at the door

Had a taiji seminar last night with one of my teacher's teachers (Willie Lim - CMC guy from Arizona) - I took a few of my students along with me, and we joined up with a bunch of my teacher's karate and taiji students. It was an interesting seminar, but I definitely felt like he was casting pearls before swine.

I hate doing partner work with people I don't know in seminars, I always end up with some nutbag that my teacher makes me partner with so no beginners get stuck with him. I get Bigfoot this time: 6'5'', 300 pounds, Cro-magnon brow, one large bogey hanging out of his nose. Fuck.

Me: Hi, I'm Vegas. Nice to meet you *shake hands and then move to start pushing hands/application/whatever the drill is*
Bigfoot: Hi, I'm big foot. How long have you been training?
Me: erm, I've been with Steve for a few years now
Bigfoot: oh really? I never see you - do you not come that often?
Me: No, I train privately with Steve. I live in Brighton.
Bigfoot: Oh ok.

I try and start the exercise going, except now he has to try and prove that he's better than me. He makes a complete abortion of the drill, to the point where I want to help him out. Big mistake.

Me: I think we're supposed to be doing X, not Y
Bigfoot: No it's Y.
Me: Ok. But it's not working when you do Y, so try X
Bigfoot: You're moving wrong, that's why I can't get Y to work
Me: So you want me to move so it'll work?

Bigfoot now tries to do the movement and force it through. I make sure it doesn't work this time. I'm now getting annoyed.

Me: Look - I'm doing X. That's why it works. So do X.
Bigfoot: Ok.

Bigfoot proceeds to do Y again.

Me: I'm getting a drink.

I come back and Bigfoot is now telling Willie that I'm being too resistant in the exercise and that he's having trouble. Willie looks at me (we know each other well) so I shrug and say we'll show him.

Willie: You're doing Y, but you need to do it like this (he shows X)
Bigfoot: Ohhhhh I see. *turns to me* We've been doing Y, but it should be X.

I stab him in the eye with some chi and smile. Bigfoot now is doing X, but still forcing the movement. Stupidly I decide to try and coach him (I am supposed to be assisting in the seminar after all).

Me: I find this works really well if I just relax
Bigfoot: Yeah, I am really relaxed. You should relax more.
Me:....
Bigfoot: Why don't you try again, and this time relax.
Me: ok.

My ego now gets the better of me and I put the move on 'properly'. He yelps and looks at me like a retarded kid that just burnt his hand on the kettle. Inside I smile.

Me: Oh sorry, I was just seeing how well it worked if I tried to use your strength against you.
Bigfoot: That's ok, that was a lot better.
Me: Thanks! It was wasn't it?

We finish the drill and my teacher comes over and quietly explains that the guy actually IS retarded. So I just beat up a retard. It still felt good.

I think I'm going to Hell.