How Karate Sparring Gear Saved My Face

I laughed out loud.

I couldn''t help myself. The emotional blast of adrenaline was so intense, my body could only cope with the jolt by releasing it through laughter.

Why was I laughing so hard?

Because I was dead.

Well, not really dead as in the literal sense. But if my life was a karate movie, I would have been one of those ninjas getting hammered unconscious by the hero with a single blow.

I was standing in the karate dojo, with full foam rubber armor on. I had karate sparring gear on my head, hands, chest, shins and feet. I felt like a gladiator. The only problem is that I am still horrible at karate.

I was "pretend sparring" with an amateur muay thai kickboxer that had crazy skills. He was taking it real easy on me.

The armor had given me a little confidence, and I was throwing my right kicks about waist high, and even a few punches at him. He could block all my attacks with ease, and kept staring at me, keeping me slightly off balance with little jabs with his left hand.

All of a sudden, he threw a vicious right hand. I instinctively ducked it, which I later realized he wanted me to do. His right hand whistled past my ear, and the energy from the punch kept him moving...moving...into a quick twirl and then "THWAP!"...I heard the impact more than felt it.

A deadly spinning back fist to my skull. Luckily he pulled the strike, and his fist was padded, and my head was protected with the karate sparring gear. The impact could have been much, much worse. Glad he was a real gentleman about it and didn''t try to hurt me. I shook my melon and then broke out laughing.

I would have been dead in real life, or at least in the movies...a ninja laying uncconscious for sure. I laughed so hard my partner started laughing. Our "pretend sparring" session was over. I was sweating like a fat man trying to return cold soup at a restaurant.

Another great workout at my karate dojo over...I feel great and I have lost over 7 pounds in just the last 2 months.

Yoshi Kundagawa is a freelance journalist covering the martial arts world. Too much time at his computer eating donuts reduced him to couch potato status. He''s on a quest to recapture his youth and fitness. You can read his blog at MartialArts3000.com