Now how does this go again???
Ahhhh Mondays, I love Mondays... I know that sounds ironic, but it's true. Weekends are hard. That's just how my life rolls.
This Monday, (today) I am psyched because I am on my way to try out yet another different instructor at my boxing fitness club. I'm downing my starbucks and DD munchkin donuts, singing to the radio, having a good time, not feeling a bit nervous....till I pull up in the parking lot next to those big picture windows. Why am I here? I'm asking myself again. Silent prayers go up as I gather up my gloves and wraps and sullenly walk towards the door. But when I open the door, I am greeted by the cutest, sweetest Boston terrier you ever meet, and my fears are melted into cute puppy-dog goodness. It's the instructor's dog, I learn. What a good dog, very well-behaved, too.
I soon grab hold of the instructor, Mr. "Duque" (pronounced like "Duke") and ask him to help me with my hand wraps. He wraps me up really good, says there's lots of ways to do it, but his is the best. It DOES feel really good. First impressions: shortish Italian (?) guy, big-ape muscles, tattoo of some Arabic writing all over his arm, totes a gallon jug of water. He's from Californina; credentials include training with some UFC guys by the names of Griffin, Diaz, Melendez, Melchor Menor...well those names could be Big Bird and Elmo from Sesame Street, as much as I know about fighting..
Jump-rope warm-up. Only 6 of us in the class, so the talk is light and fun. He spends the whole time talking about donuts. He considers Dunkin Donuts & Krispy Kreme trash, since he's from Cali where there's a mom-and-pop donut shop on every corner & he can't believe we don't have those here in NC. I'm just getting hungry thinking about it, so let's get busy burning off those munchkins I just ate in the car..
Cardio intervals...we all grab a set of small dumbells, which we hold up to our faces while running back & forth to his commands: Jog-sprint-push-ups-jog-sprint-jab/cross-jog,sprint,mountain climbers-sprint,jog-bob & weave-jog-sprint-bear crawl-jog-sprint-squat walk-keep those dumbells by your face-sprint-etc.
Time to glove up up. Today's big treat- since it's such a small class, usually it's like 20 people, we get to partner up and catch each other's punches, almost like real fighting!! He puts me and this other mom together and we learn several sequences which we do back and forth across the mat:
Jab-cross combo, partner rolls shoulder to avoid punch.
Upper cut, cross, hook, cross. (partner catches)
Cross-jab, body-hook, that one was fun, whopping each other's motherly hips, lots of cushion there!!
Overhead swing right, left (partner ducks twice, gotta time this just right...) My partner recently had surgery on her toe and has less range of motion on the ducking, so I have to aim higher, plus she's taller than me, so I end up smacking her right in the face not once but two times!!! Ooooops, sorry-not-sorry, do I get 2 points for that one? hahaha!!!!
Advantage of small class: more personal attention and critique. My advice from Mr. Duque, relax more, not so rigid when I swing. This was so fun! Like learning a dance, takes coordination. sort of like ballroom dancing, the partnering/ mirroring kind of thing. Time flies, and it's time for the last section of strength training.
They're called "undulating ropes", I think, these big fat double ropes secured on one end to the wall. In squat position, violently shake those big heavy things till they go up & down like big snakes, reminds me of double-dutch jump rope games as a kid. Except these things are monstrous, and we have to keep our butts way down close to the ground. Then move them like rainbows, dont' stop till the time is up. He's barking at us, "Who's ready to quit???" More squats with medicine balls. Ab work with the balls. Done.
I get to know Dozer, that sweet Boston terrier that Duque's been petting this whole time while we're working our butts off. I ask him (Duque, not Dozer) if they have any actual fighting classes, he says not yet. I assure him they'd just be fun to watch. (I lie) Love this class. Wish I could afford the full membership, I'd be back much more often!
Now I deserve some more donuts.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment