Neal and I began boxing lessons two weeks ago. 🙂 I love the reactions received when I divulge this new hobby. The first question I get is, “Where did you get the idea to do that?” Honestly, I think it was a big ‘nudge‘ from God. That’s right. I’m saying God encouraged me to learn to fight. 🙂 For the new year I’d been praying to find it within me to do more with Neal and the boys. Neal has been talking about getting back in the gym for awhile now and yet I knew that unless I suggested something for us to do together he wouldn’t fulfill that resolution. One night a commercial came on for the new Biggest Loser episode in which they have a new female trainer that is a boxer. It hit me then, I love the combat class I took at the gym that involved shadow boxing and kickboxing, but I knew Neal wouldn’t do that with me because there weren’t many men involved. So, going completely outside of my comfort zone I suggested we learn to box together. He instantly was on board and thus it began…
We go two nights a week and it is the BEST workout. I was doing fine at first because we were learning how to properly throw a punch, right jab, left jab, right hook, left hook, combo’s, etc. Then we had an evening of ‘stations’ where 1 stations was in the rink with the trainer (who is an ultimate fighter)…I had never hit anyone until that moment! The kicker evening was this past Wednesday when Neal and I stepped into the gym and the trainer looked at me, raised his eyebrow and said, “You know what tonight is right?” Ummmm…no? “It is sparing night.”
*surprise face here*
Do you know what that meant??? The entire class was paring up with a partner and literally fighting in the rink for 3 minute rounds. I was the only female in the class!!! So my partner was the trainer! Two weeks ago I was scared to death to be hit and to hit another, now I’ve been in a rink for 5 rounds (4 rounds with the trainer and 1 with Neal!), I’ve been hit (lightly of course…they were good to me). By the end of the evening I could not lift my right arm. As I boxed Patrick (the trainer) I found that once I realized he wasn’t going to let me get out of this by wimping out, I needed to believe in myself, my strength and do what he taught me. I gave it my all too. The more I landed a punch the more emotional I became. I was finally fighting back! Then I blurted out, “I need to tell you something about me. I’m a rape survivor twice over.”
God bless him, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he focused more on making me believe in me and what I could do by encouraging me to keep going. It was so empowering (despite the muscle fatigue afterward). 😉 Considering I hear a story of abuse at least once, if not two to three times a day which fuels my anger toward the enemy’s ploy to keep the world tethered in shame, I think God is wise to lead me to a safe outlet to relieve the anger, pain and frustration.
The other blessing – it has brought Neal and I together in a way that I’m not sure we’ve been since we dated. Because I’m the only woman in the class there is a since of ‘protection’ he has for me and he encourages me as I try to figure out the ‘correct’ way to do things. It is refreshing for that hour to be just ‘Shannon & Neal’, where we can laugh and giggle at one another and be there to support each other.
Before you know it, we’ll be settling all our fights ‘in the rink’. 🙂 (With appropriate padding of course!)
Blessings
Shannon