Confessions of a former Kick-Boxer

I was kick-boxing back when most of the habitancy never even heard of it. Nowadays, it seems, everybody is an expert. I flinch at what I see at the fitness centers or community gyms sometimes, when the young jocks strut around with all the fancy gear. Someone sold them the membership and the clothing, but not the skill to go with it.

I got into kick-boxing when in my early twenties. Dissimilar martial arts verily had not helped me much and I was tired of getting picked on or whupped. In the eighties, the wispy, point-scoring martial artist was being substituted by the heavily conditioned experience fighter. Now the typical North American could forego years of disciplined training and get down to "pummeling an opponent."

Ashtanga Yoga

The kick-boxing training was different. Even my former distance running had not prepared me for the upper body stamina needed to last in the ring. Still, I persisted and after a few months dealt with a scuffle with a combine of antagonists. Later, I competed as an amateur and it immensely improved my confidence.

Confessions of a former Kick-Boxer

Unfortunately, the hits to the head were not good for my studies and I had to struggle straight through vocational school. Later, it would corollary my condition and relationships. Over-training was someone else qoute that I had as I was addicted to the training and the fatigue. I became a sort of practice anorexic. This included mood swings, sleep problems, lack of appetite, fatigue, inability to combine and irritability. Even today, I still have to keep myself in check when I train too much. One way to tell if you are over-training is to check your pulse. If it is accelerated, then you have trained too hard and too much. Take a week of light training.

After age 35, I started visiting the chiropractor for hip problems. Too many hours of roundhouse kicking the heavy bag. Eventually, I learned Pilates (Mat Level 1 instructor), kung fu and Ashtanga Yoga. My back and hips felt much better, but I still had some hip and back numbness. Finally, an unarmed combat instructor, Rick Volpato, told me to "work the bag, don't let the bag work you." What I learned from his advice was to re-develop snap into my kicks and punches and not just hammer away at the bag. Punches and kicks are suppose to send shock waves straight through the bag and not make the bag just swing.

So, re-learning permissible technique kept me going long sufficient to teach classes for any years and compete for a welterweight title at age 40. This was a challenge as I had not had much sparring institution in years and mostly trained cardio kick-boxing classes. But, here is the fact: Good technique, as well as distance and timing coupled with some old guy patience won the match. This taught me that a forty plus guy does not have to hammer away at the tool like a twenty year old might. It also gave me a whole new respect for the forms of kung fu, which I have also practiced for years prior to the match.

A note on kung fu forms. Many kung fu forms are more noteworthy for concentration, condition and flexibility. They have that re-charging quality that most western fitness methods lack. However, if done properly, kick-boxing training has its own exhilarating sensation. I find that older gents and ladies enjoy studying kick-boxing for the confidence and a miniature bit of that aggressive spirit that lies buried in us all.

Confessions of a former Kick-BoxerLauren Peterson Video Clips. Duration : 2.77 Mins.

This video was taken of me while practicing 4th series in the ashtanga series, on the morning of my 50th. birthday. 5.8.08

Keywords: ashtanga, yoga, short, film, practice, Mysore, India, Thailand, shala, Journal, Works, Vinyasa, Flow, backbend, 50, parvitanasana