Sparring Short Story

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There I was, sitting on the hardwood floor of the gym, awaiting my name to be called, with a crowd of people watching me. As my name was announced, I stood up, nervous, thoughts racing through my head, and I prepared myself for my first sparring fight of the tournament. Will this be better than my last? Thinking back to my last tournament, I remember it did not go as expected. As always my nerves were getting the best of me. As I waited nervously for my name and my opponents name to be called, I scanned the room in search of who I was sparring. My worst fear had come true! There I was, a scrawny, fourteen-year-old boy getting ready to spar a towering, eighteen-year-old boy. My fate was sealed. As we both stood up, we bowed in unison with …show more content…

What was to follow was exactly what I had imagined. Round after round, my self-confidence dwindled with every move. When will this colossal nightmare end? As my opponent was announced the victor, we turned to face the crowd. As I stood there humiliated and deflated, I was determined that next time would be different. I knew what I needed to do. Training both mentally and physically became my mission for the next six months. Working hard with my instructor to perfect my sparring was going to be my focus. I knew I couldn't let negative thoughts get in the way of my ability to accomplish my goals. Week after week, I could see my confidence growing and my physical strength building. I was ready for this! I arrived at the karate tournament with great anticipation. I felt this time would be different. My family joined the crowd to watch as I prepared for my first matched. As I sat nervously awaiting my turn, I heard the judge call out, "Noah Fowler, please step up and face your opponent." It was time. As the timer was set, we began to spar. One punch, one kick, and then it happened, a kick to my stomach. Down to my knees I went. I breathed deeply through my nose as the air had been knocked out of me. Finally, I stood up confidently, more determined than before. As the match kept going, I fought hard with all the training I had learned in those six months. The outcome is what I had hoped for. As we faced the crowd, the ring judge …show more content…

My confidence was growing, and I knew I could win. It was time to face my next opponent. As both our names were announced, we stood up and took our stances. I felt like I was looking in a mirror and seeing the old me. I could tell my opponent was as nervous as i had been in my last tournament. As we sparred one another, I quickly realized how much of a lead I had on him. This round ended as quickly as it started. I began to realize what this meant for me. One more fight and I could be the

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