Final Round

Last night was my final Fight Class. I am happy to report that my nose, while a little tender, is entirely intact. I know I got jabbed there at least 10 times last night - once hard enough to make me wonder about the distinct possibility of blood. I have to say that I have mixed feelings about taking the class. It was definitely outside of my comfort zone! But I learned a lot and I feel proud for being the only girl in the class and not giving up.

I found that I could take a punch. The actual physical pain was less than the fear I had of being attacked by a big guy. And I finally got used to ignoring them. I used to focus on every punch that landed - oops missed that one. Gosh, I should have parried that. But then I started focusing on my counter - OK, he just hit me, where is he open? While he's up close and personal, where can I hit him back?

A few of the guys had a hard time hitting me in the face. I guess their mamas raised them well! ;) And a few of the guys didn't have any trouble hitting me. Hard. I have a few bruises to prove it. But most of the guys were respectful and a good sport about training with a girl.

Even though I wouldn't win in a fight with a trained man, I think I picked up a few tricks in class that would be helpful. Like the defensive front kick. Basically you use your leg to keep your opponent far away enough that he can't reach you. And groin kicks. Though they aren't "legal", they are effective and I wouldn't hesitate to use one on the Street.

I will continue taking Kickboxing classes 2x a week, along with my regular martial arts classes. Honestly, I think they will seem a bit easier now. :P