Elephant story

Today's Capoeira class: Andres, Jesse II, Diana, Shane, Angel (whom I haven't seen in months) and Carlos (from now on referred to by his nickname, "Carlito," to differentiate from Carlos in Nebraska). By the way, formerly-fat Angel has lost weight!

I arrived and saw lazy Diana running inside the park (shorter route) while everyone was running around the block. Concerns:

• I caught up with everyone and found my sprint was the slowest.
• I also nearly had a muscle spasm doing bridge-push-ups.
• I even fell off the pole trying to climb it!
• I could only do 2 handstand push-ups against the wall.

Good news: Carlito was impressed at how I can do chin-ups with my legs straight in front of me because "it's all abs strength."

Diana, Angel and I were to get the kicking pads out of Andres' car and meet the rest in the recreation room. Lazy Diana intentionally prolonged us.

RYAN: He's gonna notice we're lagging! I'm gonna get there 1st! [Sprints. Angel follows.]
DIANA: Ryan! I thought you were my buddy!
ANGEL: It's bros before hoes!
Finally ...
ANGEL: (impatiently) Damn! You guys took your sweet time!

And then Andres began his Elephant story. Short version:

ANDRES: There was a park in Africa where elephants were killing rhinoceroses. It was because the elephants were young and rambunctious. But the scientists couldn't figure out why because elephants and rhinoceroses aren't natural enemies--"
RYAN: --like vampires and werewolves?
EVERYONE: [laughs]
ANDRES: (teasingly) Yeah, OK, "Jacob." So they got a shay-man--
ANGEL: Isn't it shaman?
RYAN: (jokingly) Don't correct the teacher!
ANDRES: And the shaman told them to put an old elephant in there with them. And the old elephant just chilled. And the young elephants calmed down!

Moral of the story: "It takes a village to raise a child," or something like that.

Stretches resembled yoga. Lazy Diana stayed in the corner where Andres couldn't see her and even Shane was like, "Why aren't you doing it, Diana?" Ha! Diana and I were paired up for drills and apparently we're referred as "Team Jacob." Drills:

• 1st combo: Armada (step over spin kick), martelo (roundhouse), ponteira (front push kick).
• 2nd combo: Same as above, but add a back pisau (side kick) at the end. Andres said I tagged his shoulder well with the ball off my foot.
• 3rd combo (with partner): Esquiva (evade) and counter with ponteira to our partner holding the kick pad. The point is to be able to knock our partner to the other end of the room in however many turns.
• 4th combo (with partner): Armada to measure distance and ponteira with lead leg.
• 5th combo (with partner): Quexiada (Ax kick) and pisau.

Then we played. I man'ed up and went in 1st. I played everyone except Andres and Shane. In my last game, I was against Diana. I managed to kick her out of the roda (circle of people) because she became timid and couldn't counter. We reseted the game. It ended when my quadriceps were too shot to esquiva properly and Andres called it quits.

Angel pretended to martelo me and I countered with a punch to the groin!

ANGEL: You cheated!

Shane's mom arrived late. He lives around the area, so Andres volunteered to drive him home in the future along with everyone else. Angel's applying to CSUN. I told him a little about the stock market. I announced that I'm studying for the LSAT.

ANDRES: I still have to find out what I wanna do in life.

And Andres is like 30 years old or something. I did a round of reconnaissance at the mall before coming home for WWE Raw. Dinner was chicken, ravioli, salad with fruits and cheese, bleu cheese dressing, and homemade fruit juice.