Editorial

There was a comment on the previous post that I thought I should go into detail about. And I know that more than one person needs to read it.

The comment:
I definitely DO have words! DISAPPROVE. Not okay. Dangerous. Worrisome. Unsafe. Vanessa, I hate it. I know I'm not your mom, but this is no kickboxing class at the gym. Those ladies don't choke each other unconscious, at least not that I've seen. I know you love love LOVE it at Absolute, and so I hesitate to criticize... but I don't think it is cool or cute or tough or FUNNY by any means. Not one bit. I also do not think it impressive to be choked unconscious. Just the opposite, in fact. I apologize for my honesty, I know it will be unwelcome in this case. I just love you too much. I hate to hear about this kind of abuse. I thought you said you were only training, not fighting. Have you changed your mind?Sorry to respond so emotionally, but I find myself feeling very protective of you.

The response:
While I appreciate your concern Natalie, I do feel like you're getting the wrong idea about all this. If you're worried about my safety, you shouldn't be. We aren't there to be brutal or abuse each other. We are there to learn self-defense. Wouldn't you rather I know how to get out of one of those chokes in a controlled environment, than in a situation where someone is there to seriously hurt or kill me? I refuse to be a statistic. I think everyone needs to learn self-defense. You're right, this isn't an aerobic kickboxing class at the gym. And I'm glad. I'm learning very valuable things. Things that will benefit me and my family in the future. I may not have the skills right now to defend myself if needed, but I will. And that's why I'm going to stick with it.
The experience was awesome for the fact that I now know my limits. I can judge a bit better when I need to tap out. No harm was done. The choke was released as soon as I blacked out. We wouldn't be practicing this if we were to inflict brain damage or long term injury on each other. Of course it's better to tap than to be choked out, but sometimes it happens. I know that on that post it felt as if I were laughing a bit about it. And I'm sorry. I could see how that short entry would worry someone. But it really was a laughing matter. No harm was done at all.
Many of these fighters aren't there to just fight in the cage. They're doing it because it's challenging and requires a certain amount of discipline. They want to know how to defend themselves. They want to be fit and strong and healthy. This is definitely a sport that achieves that. They fight in the cage to see how much they've learned and to see how they can apply it in a controlled environment. With a referee. And they hug afterwards.
Once again, I want to tell you and anyone else reading this, that mixed martial arts is a seriously misunderstood sport. Those of you that know me know that I am a very logical girl. I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't be involved in something that was brutal or macho or anything like that. This is a legitimate sport. With value. I hope that I've been able to shed a little light on the subject with this response. If anyone else has questions, don't hesitate to ask. If I don't know how to answer it I can ask an instructor at the gym.
And yes, I am leaning toward actually fighting.
So are we cool now about the whole thing?