Ready for a title shot

Like my good friend Georges St. Pierre I must have a natural talent for kicking and punching due to my high-octane performance in Kenpo X which I completed less than an hour ago. I found the movements to be instinctive and the pace that the instructors set to be very natural and I think this really allowed me to boost the intensity of my punches and kicks. It helped to imagine I was fighting an actual opponent so that rather than tossing my fists and feet wildly towards my kitchen's walls, I was keeping my body tight and throws precise and aiming at a head or chest of...say... Dan Hardy. I think doing this established the proper mindset over the duration of the workout, because I found myself breaking out into a grin and even throwing a few headfakes between reps (showboating for the kitchen table, fridge and Blendtec). I performed it on the lino floor in barefeet and not only would I recommend doing it this way, I'm almost convinced that it's better for you. While the Plyometrics are difficult to do in barefeet for the first time, I think that Kenpo X is conducive to a more natural type atmosphere and the barefoot approach really helped me enjoy the workout that much more. As I get more flexible I'm sure my sidekicks will improve, since I could barely get my leg over the height of my waist to start, nevermind throw them with any kind of power behind them (GSP would catch the kick, shoot, and finish me in about 4 seconds. Actually, he'd probably just check my kick and I'd fall down)

As usual I had a healthy sheen of sweat once I was finished and required a towel/water several times throughout that workout. HOWEVER, I don't think I got to nearly the same level of exhaustion that I did with Plyometrics or even some of the resistance workouts. While this one had my heartrate at about 120 (and 140 after the flurry of punches to close), I think Plyometrics nearly stopped my heart entirely. It's not to say that Kenpo X is easy, but I found myself having more fun doing it than any other exercise in P90x yet and I can't wait until my chance to do it next time. I might see if I can find some cool fighting gloves or shorts so I can feel like I'm in the Octagon, then once the workout's finished I'll do a backflip before speaking to a fake audience in a heavy French Canadian accent.