| Practicing karate fights is also known in the dojo | | | | minutes. I was nervous at first. Imagine as a guy |
| or gym as sparring. The goal is not to kill your | | | | punching a girl in the head. You don't want to hurt |
| sparring partner! I repeat - you are not trying to | | | | her, but you also don't want to look like a chump. |
| injure your opponent when engaging in practice | | | | Ah, the fragile male ego at work! |
| karate fights. The purpose is to train your mind | | | | Suddenly I felt a pain on the right side of my |
| and train your body using simulated combat. | | | | face. Olga had caught me with a strong left hook |
| Does it hurt? Sometimes. I'm brand new at my | | | | flush on the button. I winced slightly, my pride |
| karate dojo with about 5 months of practice. I | | | | more wounded than my mellon. We hadn't started |
| walked in the door nearly 25 pounds heavier than | | | | working three punch combinations yet, but she |
| I am now. Learning to kick above my knee caps | | | | jumped the gun. Rather than apologize she just |
| without falling over was a major victory for me. | | | | grunted, and I think I caught a hint of a smirk. It |
| Heck, learning to skip rope in the warm up with | | | | was on.... |
| out mashing my toes was a big thing! | | | | We gradually increased the intensity of our |
| But after a few month your cardio improves | | | | practice karate fight, adding in kicks to the body, |
| dramatically. At least mine did with 3 sessions a | | | | uppercuts and some clinching. I could tell she was |
| week. I got some basic skills, punching, kicking and | | | | fighting near her maximum level of both control |
| blocking. So my instructor one day asked me if I | | | | and intensity. She was hitting me far too hard, but |
| wanted to join the intermediate class and do a | | | | I let her go. She wasn't really hurting me, and I still |
| little sparring. | | | | was within my limits. |
| That class was mostly muay thai kickboxing, with | | | | We sparred a full 5 minute round at pretty close |
| a little karate thrown in for flavor. Cross-training | | | | to full out. I was hitting her about half power with |
| martial arts is very common in my gym. I had on | | | | my punches and maybe a third with my kicks. |
| 16 ounce boxing gloves, shin pads, and a | | | | The kicks were all she could take from a pain |
| mouthguard. I got to fight a girl. | | | | level, but she handled the punches well. Of course |
| Yes, I said it. My first karate fight was with a | | | | neither of us hit to the direct face. In sparring |
| karate girl. She was from eastern Europe, her | | | | causing a black eye or a fat lip or stitches is just |
| name was Olga. Nice gal, early twenties, muscular | | | | not worth it when everyone has to go to work |
| and fit. I think she worked as a corrections | | | | on Monday. |
| officer. We squared off and slowly began working | | | | The physical exertion was intense. My cardio was |
| on jabs, jab-cross combinations, and counters. | | | | better than I thought. We were both dripping with |
| I blocked her punches with my forearms or | | | | sweat and our lungs and limbs were burning with |
| caught them with my hands. She would throw a | | | | fatigue. I really enjoyed my first intermediate |
| few combinations and then I would do the same. | | | | class, I'll be back for some more karate fights! |
| We went back and forth in the drill for a few | | | | |