My Biggest Achievement free essay sample

Learning a new skill can be a challenging experience requiring time and a lot of effort; nevertheless, we benefit greatly when we finally accomplish our goal. The feeling of pride and strength fills our mind, and the awareness that we were capable of doing something significant, either for ourselves or for others, gives us an appetite for more. My adventure with Muay Thai began two years ago when my friend from school, Olivia, told me about the new martial art gym in town and she asked me to go with her. At that time, I just moved to California and I was looking for anything to do besides sitting at home all alone. Therefore, I reacted very enthusiasticly about her idea. I thought it would be great to learn how to defend myself and burn some calories as a side effect. I did not realize though, how taugh Muay Thai training is and how much of physical and mental strength is needed to become successful in this discipline. We will write a custom essay sample on My Biggest Achievement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the day of the first Muay Thai class, all excited, I was preparing myself for the training. I found my old gym bag in the closet and I started to pack all kinds of things I thought I might need, which included a bottle of water, a towel, wristbands, pair of socks, shampoo and conditioner for the shower, and a banana, just in case I was hungry afterwards. The class was starting at 6 o’clock in the evening so Olivia and I agreed to meet at the gym at 5:40. At 5 o’clock I changed into my fashionable gym outfit consisting of a black and torquoise top, matching shorts and my old black training shoes, and after 20 minutes of driving I happily arrived at my destination. I went inside of the gym building and the first thing that seemed surprisigly pleasant was that there were about 30 male trainees and only 3 females including me, Olivia, who was already streching on the mat, and one other girl of angel look. The place looked not too big and not too small, with two separate mats; Muay Thai was taught on one and Brasilian Jujitsu on the second. I told the girl behind the counter that it was my first class and she walked me around the gym, showing where the particular parts of the gym were, namely bathrooms and locker rooms. Meanwhile, other people were chatting with each other and the atmospehere was really friendly. I noticed that nobody was wearing shoes. Soon thereafter, the  instructor accounced the beginning of the class by simple †Start running!† and everyone followed the instruction. After about 5 minutes of a run, the instructor told us to spread out on the mat and we started stretching; a very important part of training which reduces the risk of soreness and pulling muscles. One of the stretching positions that I found interesting was the †superman†, which is standing on bent legs with back and arms pulled forward. The key point is to lean forward in an exact straight line to effectively stretch entire spine, and, as a bonus, you totally look like a superman. After stretching, it was the time for a serious training. The instructor told us to find a partner and put on boxing gloves and shin pads. He was showing us the structure of kicks and punches and then we were practising. After a few minutes of jabs and crosses, high kicks and extensive use of knees and elbows, I broke a serious sweat. I realized that it was not that easy as I thought it would be. Even the advanced fighters were all red and sweaty, giving a hundred percent of their strength. At the end of the class we did a set of sit-ups which help to build core muscles essential to protect abdominal organs during the fight. When we finished I did not have strength to get myself up. I lied on the mat for a longer minute trying to catch a breath. The instructor came to me and told me that I did a really good job. He helped me to get up and we talked a little bit about the rules in Muay Thai. I was exhausted but somehow it felt great. I drove home devouring my banana, with a smile on my face. In the morning, I woke up all sore. I wished I did not force my muscles so hard. The pain was not letting me study. I slept for a half of the day and I did not even have a strength to eat. I could berely walk, my legs were shaking. The feeling of soreness persisted for a week. I said to myself that I was never going to go to Muay Thai class again. †It’s just too much for me! It’s so painful!† I was telling to my mom. However, my complaining did not make any impression on her. †Nothing worth having comes easy† she said. Suddenly I understood. When the pain was gone, I decided to train again. †I’m glad you came back† my instructor said when I showed up at the gym. †Many people give up after the first class because the trainings are too hard for them.† I felt embarrassed in front of myself that I almost gave up but I was glad to be there again. The class started and I was ready to  get my butt kicked again. I was a partner with a very nice guy from Brasil named Rafael who was explaining me all the moves and correcting me when I have done something wrong. By the way, eighty percent of people at the gym are from Brasil. I never met such helpful, joyful and, at the same time, tough people. I was learning from them not only the Muay Thai technique, but also a positive attitude towards life. On the following day I felt excatly like after the first training. This time, though, I did not wait until the pain would go away. I went to the gym after two days and I hardly survived the warm up. I felt like someone was sticking neddles into my muscles. Every single part of my body was hurting. Hardly alive I went home. All of the sudden I knew about my fingers muscles existence; they hurt so bad that I could not write or even hold a pen. Laughing was changing into crying because of the stomach muscles soreness. However, I felt this internal urge that was telling me to keep going until I come to perfection. My instructor told me that once my body gets used to the effort, the pain will disappear. It did. After two months. It means that my whole body was sore every single day for 60 days. Nontheless, that was a good pain. More specifically, it was the pain of exercised mind. When eventually I got to the proper shape, the trainings was giving me an enormous satisfaction. Each class would just make my day. I was so happy that I was driving home smiling and singing out loud. I could not consider my day successful if I did not go to my training. Thus, Muay Thai became a part of my life. In summary, I realized that the harder I have to work to achieve something, the better I feel when I am done. The pride that I am good at something feels even better when my family and friends express their admiration for my accomplishment. Before, I was lazy and I did not like to work out too much. Now I have changed. I like challenge because I love the feeling of satisfaction after I have done something well, even if it is just an A on the school test. My self-esteem definitely increased since I started training Muay Thai, and I look so much better, too. I lost weight, my body shows the definition and I am a lot stronger than I used to be. It feels amazing. Presently, when some of my friends is trying to give up their diet  or a New Year’s resolution I tell them that, of course, it is easier to stay at home, eating ice cream in front of the TV and dwelling at your misearable life, but what is it going to change in your life?