Thursday, January 10, 2013

Punching All Around


Alan commented that there had been a lot of sparring in the gym on Wednesday.  He was right.  Everybody seemed to be game to get into the ring.  In the above photo. Andre (in the white) and Ben sparred with each other. 
 
Walter (the guy in the white shirt) was another new guy who walked into the gym.  He and Brandy shared the black heavy bag.  I heard him tell Alan that he had trained for awhile at Degerberg Martial Arts Academy, but did not take part in sparring.

Andre clocks Joe in this shot.  Joe was a good one; I was afraid that Andre was going to lay Joe out on the canvas.  Andre is now 275 pounds.  Joe shook the hits off and kept advancing on Andre. 


Reygie kept saying that he was having a hard time getting energetic.  "I had coffee at 2:30 PM, but that's wore off.  I had a Five Hour Energy, but I'm still having trouble," Reygie told me.  But he found enough energy to go several rounds with Arnold.  Arnold worries about being knocked out, but he's better than he thinks.

I sparred with Brandy, and we went light the first round.  "You think we should go hard the next round?" she asked.  "It's up to you," I said.  "Let's go for it," she said.  I kept saying to myself, "Keep your mouth closed.  Keep your hands up.  STOP dropping your right hand!"  Brandy still knows how to hit very hard.  I noticed how she timed me and got more punches in.  Punches landed in my mouth, in my stomach, and my nose was bumped more than a few times.  "Still 'Helicopter' Hillari!" Brandy smiled, referring to the overhand rights I like to throw.

Sparring drills were done with Kayla and Erma.  I threw rights and they caught them with their left hands.  I also worked with Lorie (I may have her name wrong) on the basic punches.  That was her first night in the gym. 

Josh the rabbi came in.  I told Alan, "Look who walked in!"  Normally, Josh shows up five, ten or fifteen minutes before the end of the evening. This time, he was in a lot earlier. Josh learned that Ben had martial arts experience, and he talked Ben's ears off.

On my way to work this morning, I slipped on the ice - for the second time this season - landing on my knee.  My right arm and shoulder was acting up earlier due to overuse in the gym.  Now both of my knees are talking to me.  I need to invest in Epsom salt.


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