Copyright A-W-Photography.
- "I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life, than on the nature of those events themselves."
Wilhelm von Humboldt
I completed a long standing ambition the other night of competing in front of a paying (and baying), audience in a kick boxing match. I don't really have a violent bone in my body, nor do I subscribe to the 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger' approach to the events of life. But I do think it is good to push yourself outside of your comfort zone once in a while....and when it comes to fighting, what can be safer than having a referee in there with you?
We arrive at the venue and were directed to a warm-up in a dark room adjacent to the arena. There were some weights around and a chinning bar so I was able to burn off an excess of exuberance.
Shortly after arriving, all fighters got summoned to an office en-masse where the ref (who was excellent throughout), gave us a briefing. We then got a fight schedule and that is when it becomes all too real; your name is down to fight at THIS time. I was fight seven.
I looked around the room for an 80kg opponent. There were some pretty intimidating guys in there but none that I could size up as my likely opponent. I knew he was a similar age and weight, and of similar limited experience. Other than that, I could only be sure of who he was once in the ring.
We headed back down the the warm up area. Some guys were punishing the pads and the whole area felt quite intimidating. Everyone looked huge (even though on approach I towered over many of them). Everyone else seemed to hit the pads with massive power and clean technique (even though in the ring the strikes of many seemed lighter - probably through fatigue, and wilder - also from fatigue). I could tell that fear was causing me to mentally diminish myself among others.
My emotions had been up and down all day and in fact for the previous three weeks, I would be gripped by horror; great washes of fear and adrenalin descending down over my heart and in to the pit of my stomach at the mere thought of conflict. My legs would fatigue and shake as I imagined having to defend myself against some aggressive onslaught.
Cutting to the chase, I'd warmed up. Fight five was starting and I got my wraps on. Things calmed down for me. The fight was inevitable. I HAD to handle it. The meditative process of tying the wraps soothed my mind. Once I was gloved and padded, I went through some drills. And then before I knew it, someone came to me and said "You're up!".
The fight was semi-contact so we got to wear headgear and a vest (!), but trust me that any notion of 'light-continuous' was quickly thrust aside. This was a hard-hitting slug fest. By the end I was drained of energy (by the adrenalin rush), I'm not sure I've ever been so exhausted.
Two warning for swinging.
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