Return to Street Fighting

I returned to Street Fighting today! The teacher finally spelled his name out for me - J-A-V-I-E. Javie. In English, it would be Xavier. Apparently my name is "Chris." I didn't want to correct Javie in front of everyone, so I waited until the end of class. Last time he mentioned he's a doctor. Today, he clarified he's a veterinarian.

A couple of days ago, I stumbled onto a Philippine Krav Maga website that had a pic of Javie receiving a certificate. I told Javie how I tried Krav Maga since we last saw each other and shared with him everything they taught me. He offered some tips and a few corrections. He then taught me their infamous 360 Defense.

• Correction: When being long-armed choked (not rear naked choke) from behind, instead of what Krav Maga taught me, I should use a back elbow to turn around and simultaneously break the choke, followed with a palm to the face.
• "But who's gonna choke you like that anyway?" (referring to long-armed choke when it's from behind)
• Tip: Remember to maintain forward pressure when countering a front choke with the simultaneous pull-choke-apart and kick to the groin.
• New move: When long-armed choked from the side, Javie's same counter for the choke from behind will also work, but just execute to the side.
• But it will also work to outer palm strike the groin and up into an elbow uppercut to the chin, which I observed one of the teachers do way back at the intro Krav Maga class.

There's a chick now as a new student. It was only her 3rd class. She's pretty frail. But after getting warmed up, she was able to pass as a fighter. Javie actually used me as a T.A., as in teacher's aid!

JAVIE: Ok, you (chick) will hit him (me). And he will defend.
[Chick punches and I block everything.]
JAVIE: Ok, stop. (At me) You defended well. But you are doing Boxing defenses. We are not doing Boxing. We are doing Street Fighting.
[We go again.]
JAVIE: (After seeing chick wince in pain after I block) Ok, but don't block so hard.

And then I punched Javie in the face while we were demonstrating for the chick because he somehow didn't block that one!

RYAN: Whoops.
JAVIE: It's ok. That's my problem!

This dude Mikey arrived. He was the advanced student who was there at my 1st class. I guess he yawned and Javie flipped out, something about not being awake yet and if we're supposed to be a lounge or something.

During muli-attack speed drills, I accidentally kneed Mikey in the forehead.

RYAN: Oh, sorry!
MIKEY: Walang dugo! (Translation: There's no blood! In other words, it's OK, keep attacking him.)

So it was mostly just cumulative review. But instead of "the fucking Death March," we ended class with slow-motion simulated sparring. Not a contest. No winners or losers. Just learning. Me versus Mikey. I remember being able to stomp to the knee, roundhouse, push-kick, jab-cross, elbow strike, hammerfist and backfist. Mikey had problems keeping his fists closed.

Javie mentioned that this other kid named Aaron who was there during my 1st class no longer trains. Aaron's the son of Javie's friend. Apparently, he was stubborn and couldn't do a simple stance or protect his face, eventually getting fed up when he got hit too much. Javie then went on to lecture how it's his passion as opposed to a job, not caring about anyone except for those who want to learn.

JAVIE: My barkada (gang) and I don't really teach ... We go to bars and fight. But I'm 49 now. I'm becoming more suppressed.

In the afternoon, I let Malou's gay hair-dresser fix my hair, since my mommy talked me into it. Um, I'd rather not talk about how it came out.