Monday: KNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES-ah

I got in a little late today because our uniforms finally showed up to work after two weeks, right as I was gearing up to leave (Oh well, rather be a 10 minutes late and feel a little more professional I guess). So all I had was a pastry from the 7/11 going in (it didn't sit all the well either). Bitching aside though it was a great session:

Started with stretching (first day with a proper stretch, this helped alleviate a lot of the lingering after training-pains I'd been feeling) then moved on to the stepping and striking drill for punches and elbows. This was followed by a couple rounds of shadow boxing, learned how to move a little smoother (lighter on the feet but still well planted, that last part being a little harder for me) put better combos together and keep up the right-side (I'm a soutpaw) work, keeping the left for the power shot.

After the warmup and shadowboxing it was technique time, but before we got into the thick of it there was a quick break as Karim explained a bit of the Thai clinch and appreciated a bit of what I had to say about Judo clinch-work and takedowns (he seemed to really like ippon-seioi nage). This lasted a few minutes before we moved in front of the mirrors (which I am positive make people look taller and thinner, which is fine by me) and he showed me the basics of the direct knee strike:
Keep the hands high and arms tight to protect the face. The toes pointed down, the standing foot up on the toes (like the kicks) or jumping, and get the knee higher (always higher!) with the leg angles slightly outwards (foot point out, not in).

Then he had me do a series of them in front of the mirror as fast and high as I could while maintaining proper technique (not well, and not high enough). Satisfied I didn't suck too much we went to the bag where I tried out my new knees on it for a little under a hundred good hits. Again, I felt like I disappointed him on my stamina and strength, unable to go as long as he originally said (and after at least one large pause where he restarted the count on my lazy ass).

They felt amazing though, and the THUD and dent in the bag they made is second only to the satisfying KRACK of a proper round kick. After that we shot the shit for a bit, I wrote down a few combinations that were written on a poster to try when I shadowbox on my morning runs and we took off. Over all had a great time, felt stronger shadowboxing (but not by much) and loved learning the infamous Thai Knee.