Okay, so today I decided to dive into something completely new for me – MMA training, inspired by Jason Ellis. I’ve been watching some of his fights and interviews online, and the guy is just a beast! I figured, “Why not give it a shot?” I mean, how hard could it be, right? Famous last words.
First things first, I needed to find a place to train. I did a quick search and found a local gym that offers MMA classes. I called them up, feeling all confident, and signed up for an introductory session. I even bought a new mouthguard – gotta protect the pearly whites!
I showed up to the gym feeling pretty good. I’ve been hitting the weights regularly, so I thought I was in decent shape. Boy, was I wrong. The warm-up alone nearly killed me! We’re talking burpees, sprawls, push-ups, all sorts of stuff I hadn’t done since high school gym class. I was already sweating buckets before we even started the real training.
Then came the grappling. Oh man. The instructor, a huge dude with cauliflower ears, paired me up with another beginner. We started with some basic takedown drills. I tried to channel my inner Jason Ellis, but I ended up mostly just flopping around like a fish out of water. I got taken down so many times, I lost count. It’s a lot harder than it looks on TV!
Getting Punched (A Little)
Next up was striking. We put on some gloves and practiced some basic combinations on the heavy bag. I felt a little more comfortable here, throwing some jabs and crosses. But then the instructor told us to spar…lightly.
- I ate, maybe, three jabs.
- I don’t think I landed a single one.
- I was so gassed.
Even “light” sparring is intense! My partner, thankfully, took it easy on me. I managed to block a few punches, but I definitely felt a couple connect. It’s a weird feeling, getting punched in the face, even with gloves on. It’s not exactly pleasant, but it’s also kind of…exhilarating? I don’t know, maybe I’m just weird.
By the end of the session, I was completely exhausted. Every muscle in my body was aching, and I was pretty sure I had a few new bruises. But you know what? I also felt amazing. I pushed myself way harder than I thought I could, and I learned a ton. It was humbling, for sure, but also incredibly motivating.
So, yeah, my first MMA training session was a brutal, eye-opening experience. I’m definitely not Jason Ellis yet, but I’m taking the first steps. I’m going to keep at it, keep learning, and keep pushing myself. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually be able to land a decent takedown. For now, I’m just going to ice my sore muscles and dream of roundhouse kicks.
