Question Everything: Context

What's wrong with kicking bachi out of the way when they're on the floor in front of you?

I can feel the collective shudder from all the taiko people reading this.  How the hell could you do such a thing?

At the very least, a person's bachi are the means by which they play taiko, so they're kind of important.  On the other side of the scale, they're the link between the heavens, the player, and the drum.  So thinking of kicking them away is anathema to pretty much...everyone.

So what happens when you're playing taiko and someone drops one that rolls near you either during a solo or a part that requires a lot of movement?  Are you going to risk messing up - or injury - just to avoid stepping on it?  Or will you "bite the bullet" and kick it away, whether it's under a stand or even off-stage?  Is it ok in that context?

What about when a bachi breaks on you and a piece of it is on the floor in front of you?  Same question as above - will you kick it out of the way, or dance around it?

I like finding exceptions to absolutes, and loopholes in logic, even if I don't take advantage of them.  So my point here isn't so much the specific questions about bachi.  Instead, I want you to think about things you think you would never do while playing/practicing and try to think of a context that would change your mind, even if unlikely.

Think of this as a mental exercise more than finding a reason to be contrary.

I'll leave you with my favorite example of this type of thinking:

Parent, in mid-argument: "If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?"
Kid: "Well considering my friends generally aren't suicidal people, if they were all jumping off the bridge, it's probably because it's on fire at the time.  So, yes, I probably would."