Sparring last night
Aug. 12th, 2008 08:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pegkerrI felt pretty whipped when I got up today. I clocked over two hours of exercise yesterday: biked all the way both to and from work, walk on the Stone Arch Bridge during both my midmorning break and lunch, sparring class, and then I helped Rob clean the dojo after sparring. Sparring was fun. I was rather worried about how it would feel, what with all the trouble I've been having with breathing this week. I did okay--didn't hyperventilate during any of my bouts. I kept with it until the end of the class fighting rings were set up, and at that point I stopped, not wanting to push myself too far. As it was, I probably got in about six or seven fights. I got one really hard clout to the head, rather annoying since sensei said we were supposed to be doing only light contact. She was a second degree black belt (I think) and should have known better.
But mostly it was fun, and I fought well. I managed to land a few pretty spin hook kicks. I thought about it, as I took off my gear, dripping with sweat, and started doing my stretches. I remember back when I was a white belt and then a gold belt, long before I started sparring. When my class ended, I would watch the brown and belt black belts arriving for the class after me, kitting up in their sparring gear, so casual and comfortable, casually chewing on their mouthguards as they strapped their hand pads and shin guards into place. They looked so cool, so dangerous. And now I'm getting to be one of those people that the white belts look up to--I can land a hard side kick to the ribs, and I can follow up with a back fist punch blitz, and I can jam my opponent and then duck under and throw a fast spin kick. I feel like an athlete. I am an athlete. I'm tough and I can protect and defend myself, and I'm keeping myself healthy, and serving as a great example to my girls. I can really kick butt. Literally.
It feels great.
But mostly it was fun, and I fought well. I managed to land a few pretty spin hook kicks. I thought about it, as I took off my gear, dripping with sweat, and started doing my stretches. I remember back when I was a white belt and then a gold belt, long before I started sparring. When my class ended, I would watch the brown and belt black belts arriving for the class after me, kitting up in their sparring gear, so casual and comfortable, casually chewing on their mouthguards as they strapped their hand pads and shin guards into place. They looked so cool, so dangerous. And now I'm getting to be one of those people that the white belts look up to--I can land a hard side kick to the ribs, and I can follow up with a back fist punch blitz, and I can jam my opponent and then duck under and throw a fast spin kick. I feel like an athlete. I am an athlete. I'm tough and I can protect and defend myself, and I'm keeping myself healthy, and serving as a great example to my girls. I can really kick butt. Literally.
It feels great.