Still training (ish)

Another of my now infrequent posts.
I am still training, and still finding it really hard to combine training and work/commuting. Mainly commuting.

Last Friday saw my return to the ring. Well return to boxing training after the clubs summer holiday. They train on a friday evening at a time suitable for me to attend after work. This is all kinds of awesome. I am now apparently an intermediate boxer! I am mainly still a curiosity to the entire club and the only girl to attend fridays for now two weeks in a row. This is ok though and training makes me happy. I got to spar last week too, which was good, even if I wasn't very.

I am still turning up to jitsu, and still a better boxer than jitsuka (this does not make me a good boxer!). But I am getting over my fear of being thrown, slowly. I went to a Bo seminar last week - which was interesting, though a little more stylised than the stick work I'm used to. It was nice to be good at something in Jitsu for a change.

I also went for a short run today. Shorter than I wanted, but when running I tend to think of it as a success if I get out and run at all, and not worry about the rest. Training alone is hard, so I give myself props for doing it at all.

Some thoughts on self defence

Off topic slightly with this one - but thought I'd throw some stuff out there.
Went to jitsu on Saturday, some good, some bad - there was a lot of groundfighting on the menu, most of which I can't train due to my knees. Now the class will be doing lots of groundfighting on the grounds that 'most fights end on the ground'.
This is not a public pop at Sensei - but it got me thinking, about paradigms and such...you know the sort of thing that generally fills young ladies heads these days...

I'm not entirely convinced all fights end on the ground, but that's not so much the question I think I wanted to consider. I think it was more are all self defence situations 'fights'? What is a 'fight' - does it encompass an attempted mugging or assault? I'm not sure. And do these situations count for the above statement?

That's all fairly academic stuff in the end - though it does have a bearing on how one trains.

However, my other thoughts - I cannot train in a way that will allow me to be proficient in groundfighting without most likely crippling myself on the way. Does this therefore mean I am to walk the world defenceless?

I don't believe so. I would like to think that it is possible to train other skills that would give me a better chance than I would otherwise have, bearing in mind the most likely self defence scenarios I might have to face. I also don't see that it is either insulting to me or any of the martial arts I train to accept that there may be situations that I might not be able to get myself out of with my skills and try to avoid these where able.

It'll be back to rambling about fitness soon - but if anyone fancies adding some thoughts feel free...

Back on the mat and other stories

So - not been blogging for a while, though have been meaning to.
So - what am I up to.
Still running, when I get a chance - am up to 2.5 miles now (with a hill!), which takes me 25-30 minutes at present.
Am vaguely attempting the 200 sit up challenge and 200 squat challenge - but I will admit I'm not putting that much focus into it.
Boxing starts back on the 11th - woot!
And, more interestingly - I went back to Jitsu last week. A different club, due to working in Cardiff not Swansea, and enjoyed it lots. It's going to take me a while to get my confidence up (I would say 'back up' but that involves having had confidence in the first place!), but the hardest bit is done with.
I'm considering heading over to Cardiff for training today.
That involves getting out of bed at some point.

Hmmmm...