So yeah, I did that. Li’l ol’ me. Finally. I’ve talked about wanting to do it for so long. Since high school. I said once I retired from competitive swimming, I’d take up kickboxing. Alas, I never did get around to that. Until now. I finally did it.

Out of the blue, Julia texted me saying she was planning to go to a gym for kickboxing and asked if I was interested. The gym required membership, but the first class would be free, and there would be a kickboxing class that evening at 7:45PM. I’d be home from work and even have enough time to relax and recuperate, perhaps grab a nibble, then Julia could come by to pick me up and drive us over. I figured, it was free, so why not? Plus, I was feeling inspired after watching Claire Marshall’s video on her first boxing class for her physical challenge in collaboration with Skype.

But it wasn’t just any gym we were dropping by; it was the UFC Gym. Like whaaaat? I was excited but also VERY nervous. I don’t know much about fighting but I’ve heard of UFC and it seems intense and legit. This is not your run-of-the-mill small town gym. I’m really self-conscious about people looking at me and seeing nothing more than a short little girl probably in middle school, so I get really intimidated at places like this. (I’m in college for the record.)

But to heck with it. The two of us came waltzing in, introduced ourselves as the people that called in earlier in the day, and the instructors got us set up. We signed our waivers, they handed us our gloves, and we jumped right in. I was kind of offended that they handed me pink gloves, but then I realized that the glove sizes were colour-coded and the pink gloves were the size that fit me. Did I really care that I was wearing pink gloves? Nah. I just get stubbornly annoyed when pink is automatically associated with feminine stereotypes of smallness and fragility. Pink is a great colour. I love coral and blush.

We wound our way through the forest of punching bags and tall people. There was also a boy who couldn’t be any more than ten years old. If he could do it, I could do it, right?

After warm up, we divvied up into groups of five and rotated between kettlebells, TRX, DUT, and weights. During that, I wondered whether I’d have enough energy left for when we got to the actual kickboxing part. I was so exhausted but it was a kind of exhaustion that I was familiar with and almost missed from training as a competitive swimmer.

Then we got to the bags. The long awaited moment. The coaches noticed our new faces and came over to welcome us personally, ask about us, and then gave us cues on our technique. Well, I was the one who really needed those cues. I was naïve to think that kickboxing was nothing but power. Julia was great with her background in taekwondo. The only background I had, on the other hand, was in elementary judo (white belt with two yellow stripes yeeee) in which my greatest accomplishment was perfecting what I liked to call “ninja rolls” (somersault over one shoulder).

I didn’t know until afterward that we had actually stumbled into their annual summer kickoff party, which explained why the instructors were wearing Hawaiian shirts and leis. They asked me what I thought of the workout, what brought me here today, what my goals were, and many more questions. There was something about the exchange from which I got the feeling that their questions weren’t just words to fill conversation but genuine inquiries to help them better understand me and better understand how they could help me with what I valued. I felt the community, and it feels good to be surrounded by people who lift you up, even when your limbs feel like they’re falling to the ground ;P

In fact, if I sat down, I think I would have sank right to the floor and cramped up and had have to have been dragged out of there. While Julia discussed gym membership with the instructors, I pranced around the gym stretching and kneading my muscles, doing all I could to curtail the soreness and pain I knew I would be feeling the next day.

~

Often times in conversation, we’ll say empty words–that we want to do this or do that. When someone shares about a great experience, perhaps in a face-to-face chat or perhaps in the form of a blog post, a common response is to say, “That’s amazing! I wish I could _____ too, but…” Let me stop you right there. If you really wanted to do something, you could have done it already. Why wait? The world won’t stop for you. It’s not what could have, would have, should have been; it’s what is.

Julia inspires me and I’m so lucky to call her my friend. This past year I’ve met so many new people and tried so many cool things because of her. She’s so curious, so adventurous, so eager, and a tad bit crazy. I keep saying that I should get my driver’s license; Julia took driving lessons over spring break and got it, then drove from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Kat was talking about Radio (she’s programming director); Julia said she was interested, then hosted her own Korean Indie show for a whole semester, complete with weekly themes and guest co-hosts. She joined the equestrian club. She went rock climbing. She did kickboxing. She asks you if you want to go to KCON NY and you say yes; she’ll take you up on it and hold you to your word. When Julia says she’ll do something, you better believe she’s gonna do it.

If there is something you want to do, know that it is in you to be able to do it. Or maybe you’ll realize that it isn’t something you really want to do, and in that case then whatever. But let me ask you: What do you value?

(Can you tell that I’ve just finished reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi? :P)

What’s something you keep saying you want to do but haven’t gotten around to yet?

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