Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Only One


Three weeks ago, on a Tuesday, I showed up to Kajukenbo class. We had had a particularly grueling session on the previous Sunday, and I have to admit, I almost didn’t go. My body was sore, and I wasn’t sure I could take another class like that, at least not so soon. Still, I went, because after all, the only way I can improve is if I show up to class and train.

I was the only one that came to class that day. That caught me off guard. I was afraid that the class would be canceled, but it wasn’t. I really appreciated the coach for training with me even though I was the only one there.

If I had thought the Sunday session as tough, this one was even harder. It was pure one-on-one practice, ending with sparring like I’ve never sparred before. I left bruised all over my body, but totally exhilarated because it was quite an experience.

 That following Thursday it really took a lot of courage for me to get ready for class. I was literally beaten, but I knew that if I didn’t go, the fear would build, and then it really would be difficult for me to go.

Unfortunately that day class was cancelled. We didn’t have class until the following Tuesday (so 1 week had passed since my one-on-one training session). That Tuesday, I was the only one who showed up for class again.

I’ll was so nervous because I knew what was in store. At the same time, I felt slightly more confident. We had another great training session. I got to take advantage of the one-on-one time and ask questions about different fighting techniques. The extra practice was invaluable, and once again, I was so happy that the coach trained me even though I was the only one.

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Today was the first day of Ray Elbe’s women’s Brazilian Jiujitsu class (BJJ). I was really, really excited because it was an opportunity for me to actually meet other women who were interested in the martial art. Plus joining a course that involved training with a black belt in BJJ was sure to be an awesome experience.

I was the only one who showed up for the class. I was slightly disappointed because I really did want to meet others who shared this interest. Hopefully this was a one off incident and other girls will show up for future classes.

In the meantime, Ray and I had a great session – again, I’m so happy he still held class even though I was the only one. Although I’ve been doing BJJ with D at home, this was a different experience all together. We practice different Jiujitsu drills; he had me doing agility exercises – including cartwheels. OMG. When he said do a cartwheel I had to laugh out loud. I had not done a cartwheel since I was a kid! I am totally amazed that my legs left the ground and I didn’t fall over. I have to admit, it was fun J

The class wasn’t easy, but I enjoyed every single second of it. I left feeling like I had really accomplished something. I can’t wait to go back there next Sunday – even if I do end up being the only one.

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Being the only one in class has a lot of advantages – one-on-one attention; more focused, intense training; extra practice time. However, it also has a few disadvantages.

MMA training for women in a place like Kuwait is tough to find. As far as I know, there isn’t any proper MMA training at all. There are just a few classes here and there, which is what I’m trying to take advantage of. My fear is that although I don’t mind being the only one showing up, the coaches may think that it’s not worth their time (or money) holding the class for just one person. I would totally understand that, but I would really find it devastating. In the meantime, Im going to keep showing up, and until other women join too, Ill be focusing on the advantages of being the only one. 




9 comments:

  1. I would love to be the only one in a yoga class or two. :) There must be a way to get the word out for the classes so that more will attend. You can be their spokesperson. :)

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    1. I'm going to see what I can do. I would love to be able to foster more support :)

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  2. I like Caron's idea. I did something similar with a barre class, nobody was showing up because of an unannounced schedule change. I enjoyed the one on one class, but it was more fun with other people around.

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    1. I definitely took advantage of being the only one in class. It just hope it does pick up so that the classes continued. I'm afraid that the lack of attendance will lead to a cancellation of the class.

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  3. I would love the one-on-one for certain classes (swim training, for example!), but I sympathize with your fear that the classes could be cancelled without more participation. Sometimes it takes a fair amount of word of mouth to get people interested in "new" ideas!

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    1. It's something I'll definitely work on! :)

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  4. Hi Plum - is a cultural thing with the ladies being a no show?

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  5. Hi A, I think you are a modern woman, even by U.S. standards, but certainly by your country's standards too. You are much more assertive, fitness-wise, than almost any person I know. However, it is disappointing to be the only one so many times. Can you convince a friend(s) or colleague(s) to take the class with you?

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  6. Hi Ayesha, there was a similar situation at the running club, people pro side they would turn up but on the first day only 3 turned up..and the count reduced in the second class there were two trainer and two of us...finally the trainer's put up my blog post at the gym and then we had 8 people turning up...maybe you should share your experience and encourage people :)

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Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I can use all the support I can get :)