Finally! Acceptance!

Aside from my beloved Punk Rope, I also go a martial arts school. It is full of hardcore mofos, who are rock solid; super sweaty; and take four hour-long classes in a row. The women are all incredibly unfriendly, as they want to show that they are even harder mofos than the blokes.

Last week, the instructor told us to pair up to do drills. I approached one girl, who I will call Boss-Eyed. She quickly pointed at someone else so I sloped off and tried to find another partner. I ended up partnerless (unless you count the bag) but then she decided that she didn't have a partner after all. I got super mad that she clearly didn't want to  be my partner because, well, because I'm crap, basically. I spent each drill pretending I was kicking or punching her face. I know, I know, not very charitable during this festive period.

Yesterday, I met a new girl, who was taking part in her second class. She was a stunt woman! How cool is that? She also had low opinions of the friendliness of the women in the class.

In today's Muay Thai class, I got battered whilst sparring this woman who I've seen fight the blokes. The whole time, the instructor was tell her to go lighter, and after the first three women, none of the other women were too keen to fight her. I came out with a blistered lip and fully dazed.

However, my three minutes in the ring led to Boss-Eyed actually coming up to talk to me. We had a whole conversation. Until now, I thought that she couldn't really speak English, to be honest. Rather than snubbing her, I fully engaged with her, and cracked my funniest jokes. And at the end, she asked me what my name was!

"I'm Boss-Eyed.' She said. OK, maybe she didn't.

But she's accepted me. Huzzah. I'm one of the mean Muay Thai women now. I'm so not talking to any newbies tomorrow.