fighting stance

As is the usual on Saturdays at 3:00 PM for a couple of months now, I was in Megamall to attend my training. it was quite a jam-packed day, which is to say that we at least god some rest in between kicking, changing foot, punching, etc.

So I was early for my class for the second time during my whole training session at this place. for some reason, i cannot seem to arrive in time to start the stretching exercises and my legs have to adjust themselves to kick higher, faster, and more powerful without the right amount of stretching these past couple of months. in any case, there were more girls today than guys.

Taekwondo really reminds me not only of my love for martial arts, but, believe it or not, equality among people. In our class for example, there are your usual boys who cannot be controlled since they boss each other around and kick and punch each other for fun (of course that is if the coach does not notice them first and reprimand them). There's my ever huge BIG classmate who knows nothing but eat in between breaks and try to get away with not doing his kicks properly (hehe. I’m gonna wait till his promotion and sparring to see how he'd like taking the strong kicks of those who have tried very hard to train). There are the young mommies, more mature mommies, and even grandmas. There are young professionals and college students who huff, puff and keel over and die during the whole training time.

My day would not be complete without my hilarious booboos - the klutz that i am. it was a good thing I’m the only one who notices them and nobody really makes fun of me in class so...

Granted, I was facing my coach while in line. The class started with it usual "meditation" - whatever that is. The only thing I do is close my eyes. In any case, as opposed to relaxing, which we should be doing, I found myself getting more uncomfortable since I was sitting at the back of my heel and it was stretching my feet too dang much.

After the unusual stretching (we usually do the leg stretch before starting with the kicks, but that was not the case today), we were asked to start our kicks. For some reason, my hips would not go with my leg and so my kicks were not "going through" the body of my imaginary opponent! I mean, how whack is that?! Here I was not getting worried that I’ll be hit since I am just imagining my opponent and my kicks wouldn't even swat a fly on the side of my opponent's body?! I swear, if it were an actual sparring, my opponent would be able to clip my arm and I’d be soaking myself with ice bags by now from the kicks he would have given me!

Then, we had to do the whole horse-riding stance thing and do our punches. And I thought, lucky for me, I punch really fast and I know my punches are powerful. After all, I did train in arnis and boxing! First it was a punch, then a block and a punch, then it was punching 2 times, then punching 3 times. Then I heard my coach, who was at arms length in front of me, ask us to punch 15 times - as fast and powerful as we can. it did strike me as weird that my coach would ask us to punch 15 times. Nevertheless, when he shouted, I eagerly obeyed. I was so glad that I stopped ahead of the others and then I looked around and at my coach.

coach: are you done?
me: yes
coach looking puzzled
me: 15 times right?
coach grinning
coach: 50. five-zero
me: oh. ooohh.
me thinking what the freak?! and started punching and counting to 35

And the third's the charm. So we had to kick the body gear while our partners were holding it. Poor classmate of mine (although she did kick hard and I could feel her kick hitting my tummy and my umm... upper body man! by god can that girl kick!), she had to endure my kicks! It wasn't that they were that powerful, but my legs are kinda long so I kinda hit the back of her waist together with my 45.

But I tell you, she packs one heck of a kick, she can literally move me from my stance with one kick! But then again, she's not gonna be a black-belter if she couldn't do that! Plus, she would usually give me points to help me with my kicks!

But now the trouble... I cannot remember my form! And it cannot be found online! i am dead meat next training session! I’m supposed to have memorized it!