My First Attempt Was Embarrassing
So, I decided to finally nail this blocking grounded thing. Seen folks in my gym do it smooth as butter, thought it looked easy enough. Big mistake. Grabbed my training pad, had my buddy Carlos send in a low kick. Didn’t bend my knees enough, my hands were flailing like crazy, and bam! Got rocked straight on the thigh bone. Hurt like hell, man. Left a nasty bruise for days, total beginner fail. Knew I had to start right from scratch.
Breaking It Down Step-by-Step
Went back next session humbled. Focused purely on the stance first, just practicing bending those knees low without even worrying about blocking anything. Felt awkward, like sitting in an imaginary chair. Found I kept wanting to stand up straight again – stupid habit. Spent maybe 10 minutes just sitting deep and shifting weight side-to-side like a weird crab. Carlos watched, trying not to laugh.
Next session, added the hands. Found my arms felt too slow, floppy. Coach showed me: “Tight elbows, hands glued to your head.” Tried imagining I was wearing ear muffs tightly. Seriously helped! Started bringing that front arm down to cover my lead leg thigh, keeping the rear hand high protecting my jaw. Felt like a shield locking together.
- Stance low? Check.
- Elbows in tight? Check.
- Hands glued? Check.
Then, the scary part – letting Carlos kick me gently. First few tries? Totally flinched. Closed my eyes, stiffened up, slammed the pad down late. Progress was slow. Coach yelled, “Look at the kick! Don’t turn away!” Forced myself to stare at that leg coming in. Started timing it – dropping my front elbow & forearm solidly onto my lead thigh just as his shin touched me. Not before, not after. Tense that muscle hard when it connects.”
Putting It All Together & Seeing Results
Took weeks of boring repetition, honestly. Session after session feeling silly just bending knees and putting my hands on my head. But eventually, something clicked. Carlos threw in a proper low kick, maybe 50% power. Heard the satisfying thud as my arm pad met his shin cleanly. No pain! Felt solid, rooted. Didn’t wobble, didn’t fall over. Even managed a lame shuffle backward to reset. Practiced with both lead legs, felt awkward switching but pushed through.
It’s not magic, but those 5 things finally stuck: Bend stupid low, hands welded to head, see the kick coming, time the arm drop perfectly, tense up on impact. Simple? Yes. Easy? Hell no. Took forever. But now? That bruised thigh feels like ancient history. Feels good to stand in front of a kick and actually know it won’t hurt. Worth every bit of the struggle.
