Getting into the Groove
Alright, so today was a pad day. Felt like I needed it, you know? Get some steam off. First things first, gotta get those hands wrapped. Always a bit of a ritual, that. Takes a few tries sometimes to get ’em just right, not too tight, not too loose. My knuckles were already saying hello before I even threw a punch.
Then, a bit of moving around. Loosening up the shoulders, a bit of shadow. Just trying to get the engine warmed up. Not gonna lie, felt a bit creaky at first. Like an old door hinge. But hey, that’s what warm-ups are for, right?
Down to Business
So, my buddy was holding for me. Good lad. We started off easy. Just jabs, feeling out the distance. My first few were probably way off, not gonna pretend otherwise. It’s always like that when you haven’t hit pads in a minute. Like trying to thread a needle in the dark.
But then, things started to click a bit. That lovely thwack sound when your glove connects just right? Yeah, started hearing more of that. Moved onto the basic one-two. Jab, cross. Trying to get the hip into it, not just arm punching. It’s amazing how different it feels when you get your body behind it. One minute you’re just flailing, the next, there’s a bit of snap.
We threw in some hooks. My left hook is always a work in progress, man. Sometimes it lands sweet, other times it feels like I’m swatting flies. We did a few rounds of just combos:
- Jab-cross-hook
- Cross-hook-cross
- Even tried some jab-body-head stuff.
That last one, the body shot, man, if you get it right, you feel it all the way up your arm. In a good way, mostly.
The sweat started proper ’bout then. Dripping off my nose, the whole deal. Breathing got heavier. That’s when you gotta dig in a bit. Tell yourself, “just one more round,” then another. My shoulders were definitely talking to me towards the end. Burning. But it’s that good burn, you know? Means you’re working.
We also focused a bit on moving. Not just standing there like a tree. Stepping in, stepping out, changing angles. It’s a whole different ball game when you’re trying to hit a moving target that’s also, well, the pads are moving ’cause your partner is moving. Makes your brain work, not just your muscles.
Wrapping It Up
After what felt like a good while, we called it. Unwrapped the hands, and man, they were feeling it. A bit tender, a bit tired. Stretched out a bit, trying to get some of that lactic acid moving. Or whatever it is that makes you sore.
Felt good though. Cleared the head. There’s something about hitting things (in a controlled way, obviously!) that just sorts you out. Tired, sweaty, but good tired. Now for a shower and probably a nap, if I’m honest. Always room for improvement, of course. Next time, gotta get that left hook a bit sharper. But for today, yeah, good session.
