Tag Archives: fulfillment

L.A. Life, Outlook

Empowerment through Kickboxing

By Layla Zomorod

I hate exercising. It’s hard. It’s boring. But most of all, it’s HARD! I’ve spent most of my life silently brooding over the existence of strenuous physical exertion, that is until I discovered kickboxing. Now, dressed in workout pants and sneakers, I welcome the profound challenge of accepting cardio in my life and  I hope my discovery may lead you to give cardio kickboxing a try as well.

In high school, I used to force myself to run around the school track. These bursts of torture had their own soundtrack, a string of curses targeting the fat that was intent on staying glued to my tummy, my thighs, my everything. With running, cardio fitness was a constant battle that always left me out of breath and eager to just get through it. I felt inadequate and out of shape. The thought of giving up was always a relief and at the forefront of my mind. Results were stagnant and my affinity for exercise endorphins dwindled. It took me a while to realize that running did not have to be the solution; that there might be some other kind of fitness regime that could be a better personal fit. That’s when cardio kickboxing came to the rescue!

I began about 6 months ago. I was intimidated at first; surveying all those athletic people, huffing and puffing ready to knock someone down, I felt pretty small. However, once I put on my gloves, I gained a sense of intention and I looked forward to being one of those huffing and puffing athletic people. Once I started, I discovered all sorts of reasons why kickboxing was better suited for me than running. The punching combinations had much more variety than I expected, the studio and head trainer were more welcoming than anticipated, and the clean space and charismatic trainer made me enjoy the class even more. I especially loved how the upbeat music got you ready to throw some punches and throw down some trouble. My gym buddy and I spend an equal time performing combinations and mixing in dance moves when the trainer turns his back. When class is over, I finish energized, instead of hating life as I did with running.

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USC

“And 1, 2, 3, and 4. Any questions?”

By Leanne Park

There were a couple murmurs, but no one raised their voice.  It was a warm August night, way too warm for the 50 or so of us to be learning a hip hop dance on the third floor of a parking structure and yet, there we were.  With sweat dripping down everyone’s faces, everyone seemed focused on learning the audition piece, but no one seemed particularly frustrated.  Everyone except for me, that is.

Brows furrowed and lips pursed in irritation, I probably did not look approachable by any means.  I had danced all throughout high school, even performing at pep rallies in front of hundreds of students, but, at the time of this audition, I hadn’t danced for two years and it was hitting me pretty hard that my skills had turned rusty. Even though it was the first of three audition days for USC’s competitive dance team, Chaotic 3, and we had two more days to practice the dance before the actual audition,  my heart sank as unflagging doubt seized and took over my initial hopes of making the team.

I contemplated not going through with the final audition.  I discussed it with multiple people, complaining about how hard the piece was, and voicing my doubts.  However, something told me not to give up that easily.  I was a transfer student who fought for my admission to USC and I was determined to make the most of my two years as a Trojan.  In my head, I imagined myself being on a USC dance team and I knew that I would hate myself forever if I didn’t at least try.  So for the next two days, I practiced the dance feverishly, watched the video of the choreographer a million times, and performed it in front of any and every mirror that I came upon.  I wanted to impress the team more than ever. Continue reading “And 1, 2, 3, and 4. Any questions?” →