P90X: How it helped me NOT get mugged

Last week, I started doing P90X in addition to the swimming, cycling and running I do.  I went through a 12 week training block for an Olympic distance triathlon, and just wasn’t feeling like I had gained any speed in any of the three sports, so I felt like I needed to change something up.  2 summers ago, while working an insane month of nights, I haphazardly ordered the P90X DVD’s.  Soon after, I lent them to my friend Dean so he could get in ripped shape for his wedding.  I don’t think he ever took them out of the box.  After 2 years, I finally got them back and did my first set of workouts last week.  I chose the “Lean” version because in the past I’ve packed on muscle quickly and easily when doing weight lifting programs, something I want to avoid if I’m going to race.

On Saturday, I had my first Kenpo X workout.  Kenpo is a form of Karate developed in Hawaii, according the manual with the DVD’s.  To me, it was a Taebo or Cardio Kickboxing type of thing for an hour.  I had never done one of those workouts, and for the first 20 minutes, I looked like an uncoordinated circus clown flailing my arms and legs in the air uncontrollably.  By the end, I was into the “punch, block, kick forward, kick backward” rhythm Mr. Horton was roaring at us from the TV.  When it was all over, I was an air punching machine!

Later that afternoon, I was on the Red Line to go swimming at Lincoln Park Athletic Club.  As always, I had my headphones on, listening to Pandora through my Blackberry.  Between Addison and Belmont, I saw someone out of the corner of my eye sitting in a crowded train, hawk a huge pile of spit in the middle of the floor.  I looked over to see what was going on and then went back to jamming away and reading Twitter.  The next thing I know, said spitter is shoving me into a corner by the exit doors and attempting to rip my Blackberry out of my hand.  In a split second, I couldn’t figure out if it was a man or a woman, and just said to hell with it, knocked away their right arm with a Kenpo style low block with my left arm, and immediately threw a right hook into their throat.  Ba-boom.  Spitter fell back into the opposite doors on the ground holding their throat, without my BB in their hand any longer.  Within seconds, we pulled into the Belmont station and I exited the train.  I couldn’t tell you what happened after I left, but I just kept walking, fists clenched, anticipating an attack from behind.  Nothing happened, and I went on my merry way to the gym***.

Summary:

I haven’t punched anyone in years.  It’s not really in my nature (anymore) to be a fighter, and I try to avoid it.  But, I’m wholly convinced that my Kenpo workout that morning played a role in my defense style.  I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.   So, thanks to P90X and Tony Horton for preventing another Twitter headline about a Red Line mugging.  I hope that it doesn’t happen to me again, and I really hope that it doesn’t happen to any of you who read this.  Stay safe out there.  But, if anyone threatens you physically, know that a hook to the throat works wonders.

***I ended up not going swimming.  I was too worked up and asked Brigit to go to Old Town Art Fair with me to have a beer instead. 

Michael

Michael


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