| I was kick-boxing back when most of the | | | | week of light training. |
| population never even heard of it. Nowadays, it | | | | After age 35, I started visiting the chiropractor |
| seems, everyone is an expert. I flinch at what I | | | | for hip problems. Too many hours of roundhouse |
| see at the fitness centers or community gyms | | | | kicking the heavy bag. Eventually, I learned Pilates |
| sometimes, when the young jocks strut around | | | | (Mat Level 1 instructor), kung fu and Ashtanga |
| with all the fancy gear. Someone sold them the | | | | Yoga. My back and hips felt much better, but I still |
| membership and the clothing, but not the skill to | | | | had some hip and back numbness. Finally, an |
| go with it. | | | | unarmed combat instructor, Rick Volpato, told me |
| I got into kick-boxing when in my early twenties. | | | | to "work the bag, don't let the bag work you." |
| Different martial arts really had not helped me | | | | What I learned from his guidance was to |
| much and I was tired of getting picked on or | | | | re-develop snap into my kicks and punches and |
| whupped. In the eighties, the wispy, point-scoring | | | | not just hammer away at the bag. Punches and |
| martial artist was being replaced by the heavily | | | | kicks are suppose to send shock waves through |
| conditioned contact fighter. Now the typical North | | | | the bag and not make the bag just swing. |
| American could forego years of disciplined training | | | | So, re-learning proper technique kept me going |
| and get down to "pummeling an opponent." | | | | long enough to teach classes for several years |
| The kick-boxing training was different. Even my | | | | and compete for a welterweight title at age 40. |
| former distance running had not prepared me for | | | | This was a challenge as I had not had much |
| the upper body endurance needed to last in the | | | | sparring practice in years and mostly trained |
| ring. Still, I persisted and after a few months dealt | | | | cardio kick-boxing classes. But, here is the fact: |
| with a scuffle with a couple of antagonists. Later, | | | | Good technique, as well as distance and timing |
| I competed as an amateur and it immensely | | | | coupled with some old guy patience won the |
| improved my confidence. | | | | match. This taught me that a forty plus guy does |
| Unfortunately, the hits to the head were not good | | | | not have to hammer away at the equipment like |
| for my studies and I had to struggle through | | | | a twenty year old might. It also gave me a whole |
| vocational school. Later, it would effect my health | | | | new respect for the forms of kung fu, which I |
| and relationships. Over-training was another | | | | have also practiced for years prior to the match. |
| problem that I had as I was addicted to the | | | | A note on kung fu forms. Many kung fu forms |
| training and the fatigue. I became a sort of | | | | are more suited for concentration, health and |
| exercise anorexic. This included mood swings, | | | | flexibility. They have that re-charging ability that |
| sleep problems, lack of appetite, fatigue, inability | | | | most western fitness methods lack. However, if |
| to concentrate and irritability. Even today, I still | | | | done properly, kick-boxing training has its own |
| have to keep myself in check when I train too | | | | exhilarating sensation. I find that older gents and |
| much. One way to tell if you are over-training is | | | | ladies enjoy learning kick-boxing for the |
| to check your pulse. If it is accelerated, then you | | | | confidence and a little bit of that aggressive spirit |
| have trained too hard and too much. Take a | | | | that lies buried in us all. |