Amateur karate

An emotional position of defence adopted when a person is overcome by a mixture of feelings (eg. fear, grief, distrust, love, lust) towards another person. As a result of feeling overwhelmed by the person who adopts the "amateur karate" position does so in an attempt to make the other person give up and go away with the express outcome of appearing strong and without revealing any feelings. If they stopped adopting the amateur karate position the person would reveal vulnerable feelings which would make them feel unbearably weak, needy and human.

two ex-partners meet 10 years after seperating....

Petula: why did you not contact me when i rang you and wrote letters, and when i did speak to you you just told me how much you were enjoying your job as a film producer and didn't talk about how you felt?

Darryl: i was young. It was "amateur karate". I couldnt tell you how much it hurt when you left me. It hurt too much.