Some parts of training ain’t fun.
Like pushing yourself past your wind. Or the fact that all of my advanced classes happen *after* stretching, meaning my body’s mostly completely worthless at that point. Lately, it’s the fact that I’ve got a flinch. It’s getting better, but for a long time I’ve had a habit of dropping my head and shoulders backwards to play rope-a-dope.
That’d be fine if I was aware that I was doing it.
That’s one of the best ways, in fact, to avoid certain kicks while giving something else back. But it’s a bad idea when it’s something Lizard Brain is up to, and forebrain’s not even aware is going on.
Now what’s odd, is, I don’t flinch when weapons are involved. It’s just hands. So, lately, I’ve been putting on headgear, and one of the puppies has spent fifteen to twenty minutes beating the hell out of me while I stay in distance and don’t hit back.
Have I ever mentioned, it’s a lot easier to get offline for some reason when you’re hitting back? Or, to put it another way, when the guy swinging knows that you’re going to hit back? Totally changes the dynamic.
Anyway, Thursday I went home concussed. Saturday we had a guest, so nothing there. Last night… less flinch, no concussion. Having a second smack me on the back with a cane when I leaned back was a MAJOR help.
By the end of the month, hopefully it’ll be history. Ain’t much fun getting there, but just like pressure point massage, just because it ain’t fun, don’t mean it doesn’t work.
