Jason, the Boxer

This wasn't supposed to be the next segment, but as I sit here in bed with a sore face and cut up mouth I felt like I had to relay this story to you guys.

To be frank, I'm not a gym person. With the limited amount of time in my schedule, I think my time is better spent training martial arts than just training my body. If I had the time and didn't feel as though Judo practice wasn't already a work out, maybe I would be. There's also something odd about a 5'4" frame supporting a massive frame, but that deals purely with aesthetics. Regardless, after many years of resisting it, I finally went last night to Synergy with my friends. I figured, you know, why not? I might like it.

Walking into this tome of a handful of women in track shorts and sports bras and a lot more men exuding a desire to be more masculine than the man working on the machine next to him, I had mixed feelings. The drive was already made, so I hopped on the most logical machine for a Judoka- the ergometer (or rowing machine). After about a half hour session of that, I decided to do some plyometrics around a medicine ball which kept my cardio going. Eventually, in my quest to avoid actually lifting anything, I came to the punching bags and let loose a couple of roundhouse kicks because that's just what guys do. Big mistake. (Or plot device, whichever you prefer.)

Pretty much out of nowhere a gentleman comes and says "Hey, you've fought before huh? Let me see your stance bro."

Being the pretty cool guy I am, I didn't brush him off and assumed my stance, something I haven't said since I took Karate over a decade ago. Pretty much as soon as got my hands up he shoots a straight right, barehanded with a ring on right into my jaw. He said my stance was all wrong and put in one I could recognize right away. He was a boxer! I was little miffed about being clocked in the chin for no reason, but he quickly apologized. His name was Jason, and for some reason he decided to give me a crash course in boxing for the next 40 or so minutes. Apparently his uncle was a professional boxer and his cousin runs the Gracie Barra school in our town, two claims that I didn't care to verify. What stood before me is a person enthusiastic about teaching, which is just nice to see. This entire gym was watching us spare (watching me get punched in the face several times). I tried not to reveal my martial arts background by grappling, since I wouldn't have learned anything if I did. I took his advice, philosophy, and accidental hits to the face and went home, having not lifted a thing. That said, I don't know if I'll be going back to Synergy!

I think the moral of this short story is, no matter how awkward or random a lesson may be approach it with an open mind. I'm sure as hell not going to become a professional boxer now, but there were definitely snippets of wisdom in our impromptu sparring session. Even if you were taught to do something a different way, play the part of somebody that knows nothing. Afterwards, take the time to think about why that style does what they do, see if it makes sense, and then try to incorporate it into your repertoire.

Thanks for stopping by, you're alright!
-Ben