Today felt good, today felt really good. After a couple of cancellations, I ended up being the only student in Little Lauren's class.
and boy did she kick my ass.
God, i just love it.
The amazing thing about fighting is that its a team effort. You are in charge of showing up, being strong, and keeping focused...but that's not enough.
You have your coaches who invest time, effort, and energy--for your personal success.
You have your teammates that you train with, spar with, and laugh with.
It's a circle, our coaches have their coaches, so on--so forth.
It's the ultimate pay it forward.
I always knew it, but I guess I just put it together tonight.
So, if I put that together after being part of this family for over a year and a half.
Then with continued training, practice, and sparring, perhaps the second nature will cast it's wonderful spell on me.
Here's hoping.....
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
That backpack at the bottom of my closet...
A few years ago my friend George came into town and we went out, as old friend do. It was on a layover that I was teasing him about, he was flying from Utah to LA, to some middle American State to China then to Australia. It was on miles...so it was free.
George will do anything when it comes to free stuff, especially travel.
His brother, who was just going to start college, was joining him in Australia, though he was taking a straight through flight. An adventure if you will, before he started out on his own, with his big brother.
George is one of those people you want in your life because he's just real and he's just awesome.
clean and simple.
He was very excited to have this adventure with his younger brother and he asked if I could keep his other backpack, filled with who knows what, in my closet until he comes back to pick it up.
That trip was a trip of a lifetime because a couple of months later, he lost his brother.
He died in a fraternity hazing of alcohol poisoning.
George and his family have been through years of pain, legal bullshit, and trying to move on with a steady head and heart.
Tonight I had dinner with George. He has done tons of traveling, thinking, and growing through these past years. He brought a couple of friends and we all chatted, ate sushi like mad dogs, and talked about lives we have shed, currently have, and hope to have. It's why you go out to dinner in the first place.
Tonight he also picked up his backpack.
It's been at the back of my closet for sometime now, he doesn't remember what's in it. But I do know that when I took it out of the back corners of my closet, it felt heavy--and emotional.
That's the saddest backpack I've ever picked up in my life but when I handed it to him, it was happy--ready to go--and back at home.
Neither of us knew what was in that backpack, but both of us knew it represented the final adventure he had with his kid brother, and perhaps before now it was too early to feel it--now it was safe to feel him..
and remember him.
and love him.
Cheers George, take care.
George will do anything when it comes to free stuff, especially travel.
His brother, who was just going to start college, was joining him in Australia, though he was taking a straight through flight. An adventure if you will, before he started out on his own, with his big brother.
George is one of those people you want in your life because he's just real and he's just awesome.
clean and simple.
He was very excited to have this adventure with his younger brother and he asked if I could keep his other backpack, filled with who knows what, in my closet until he comes back to pick it up.
That trip was a trip of a lifetime because a couple of months later, he lost his brother.
He died in a fraternity hazing of alcohol poisoning.
George and his family have been through years of pain, legal bullshit, and trying to move on with a steady head and heart.
Tonight I had dinner with George. He has done tons of traveling, thinking, and growing through these past years. He brought a couple of friends and we all chatted, ate sushi like mad dogs, and talked about lives we have shed, currently have, and hope to have. It's why you go out to dinner in the first place.
Tonight he also picked up his backpack.
It's been at the back of my closet for sometime now, he doesn't remember what's in it. But I do know that when I took it out of the back corners of my closet, it felt heavy--and emotional.
That's the saddest backpack I've ever picked up in my life but when I handed it to him, it was happy--ready to go--and back at home.
Neither of us knew what was in that backpack, but both of us knew it represented the final adventure he had with his kid brother, and perhaps before now it was too early to feel it--now it was safe to feel him..
and remember him.
and love him.
Cheers George, take care.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Better than before, but more work to be done
I'm sitting here, excuse me lying here on the couch, not exactly basking in today's sparring session...but not completely defeated.
Today I merely focused on blocking, however my nervousness to counter was still there. Both girls that I sparred last week went easier on me. It was perfect for today, as I was so nervous that I nearly puked on the mat. The butterflies were building to such a high degree, that I had to pause to take a moment to tell myself that no matter what it was fine.
I guess it worked to a point, I wasn't aggressive, and in my mind I was going to counter when hit on the left -hook, cross, hook and on the right--cross, hook, cross. But that didn't work out so well. My hooks are hitting in a weird place when they land, everything needs to be brought up (reasons why you just keep going back). Also, I realized that even with the mental "keep your hands up", it wasn't applying to the actual punching, I was punching lower and leaving my face completely open to any sort of counter from my partner.
This sparring business is a bit like a puzzle. Drills that we have learned the past year and a half, are making a little more sense--though right now it's only by Roxy's coaching. I guess it's easier to say that it's not second nature yet.
Instead of dodging out of the gym, I was able to smile--fat lip and all (it wouldn't be a true session without some sort of wound now would it?).
Remembering why I do this in the first place.
Today I merely focused on blocking, however my nervousness to counter was still there. Both girls that I sparred last week went easier on me. It was perfect for today, as I was so nervous that I nearly puked on the mat. The butterflies were building to such a high degree, that I had to pause to take a moment to tell myself that no matter what it was fine.
I guess it worked to a point, I wasn't aggressive, and in my mind I was going to counter when hit on the left -hook, cross, hook and on the right--cross, hook, cross. But that didn't work out so well. My hooks are hitting in a weird place when they land, everything needs to be brought up (reasons why you just keep going back). Also, I realized that even with the mental "keep your hands up", it wasn't applying to the actual punching, I was punching lower and leaving my face completely open to any sort of counter from my partner.
This sparring business is a bit like a puzzle. Drills that we have learned the past year and a half, are making a little more sense--though right now it's only by Roxy's coaching. I guess it's easier to say that it's not second nature yet.
Instead of dodging out of the gym, I was able to smile--fat lip and all (it wouldn't be a true session without some sort of wound now would it?).
Remembering why I do this in the first place.
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