Lesson Fifteen: Pain Definitely Means More Gain (seriously!)

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get into shape. From my first aerobics class wearing my bright pink leotard, with knee length tights and high top sneakers in the late 80’s, to step aerobics in the 90’s, running, swimming and boxing. I’ve joined no less than TEN gyms over the years, which bled hundreds of dollars in weekly fees from me – but this time I wanted a challenging, hard-core workout.

So, one day I googled “kickboxing”, Jai Kickboxing came up and I went along for an introductory class. The room was split in two and on the other side were the “fit ones” and out of the corner of my eye I watched them do some pretty serious punching, kicking, sit ups and push ups without a break.  I wanted to be on the other side of the room, not with the unfit, “newbies”. However, it was going to be a hard road because after one session I couldn’t move the next day. Seriously, it was absolutely pathetic.

The next day I dragged my saggy, stubborn ass back and I’ve been going four or five times a week since. That was in April. 

Now you can meet the two men who punish and punish me to breaking point every time I see them – and always with a smile, some advice on technique and witty banter.  They are Chelsea (Sarayut Sajjasuwan) and Wimbledon (Chay Yai).  At first they didn’t know my name, so very politely referred to me as “beautiful girl”. Not because they consider me beautiful, they call every girl that until they know your name.

One day I go, “It’s Tarsh”

Wimbledon: “Oh – okay. Trash…..how are you?”.

Me: “No, no it’s TARSH.”

Wimbledon: “Oh okay……Thrush….how are you?”

So I was ‘Thrush’ for a while because I didn’t want to be anal and keep correcting them, plus I suspect they were having a laugh at my expense. Now they know it’s “Tarsh” and yell it out often during class.

Chelsea: “Tarrrsh….how are you?”

Me: Panting. “I’ve just done 30 full press ups, how do you think? I want to kill you!”

Chelsea: Laughing, “TEN MORE press ups – Tarsh, you count”.

I have no idea how I survive those classes. They are so hard-core that I sweat profusely but I grit my teeth and smash those pads and bags as they yell, “More POWER” at me. Wimbledon and Chelsea know exactly how hard to push me, they know my limit and they know I have it in me to keep raising it. They have shown me I have the most incredible amount of willpower to keep going as well as some pretty good physical strength. As a woman to be shown your inner strength is a very powerful thing so I thank them both for showing me. There will be more days where they push me to almost vomiting point, but I still made it to the other side of the room with the “fit ones”.