Akida Meahzaki

Yesterday was Akida's last day at the gym. He'd been losing steam for a while, after his fight got cancelled and he continually got hurt. He came from northern Japan for three or four weeks to live and train at Ingram. He was animated and funny but also prone to complaining or doing things half heartedly. I liked having him there as he was a good sparring partner. We were both the same size and weight. He did some things a little better than me and I did a few things better than him. Yesterday we took a group picture of most of the fighters and trainers. I looked at the picture afterwards on Akida's digital camera and my skin looked painfully pale in comparison to everyone else. On one of the first days that we went running down Soi 71 a couple small pedigree poodle dogs chased after Akida. He screamed like a little baby and ran down the side of the street. Everyday afterwards if he saw the dogs (which would always bark at us) he'd screech out and run faster down the sidewalk.

On a semi related note I've seen an old man get hit by a car on Soi 71, and a dead cat (which was really sad). They're redoing the sidewalk on the soi that we take south back to the gym. Its literally a construction zone. I'm afraid of running in the street and I get worried about running on the sidewalk.

My trainer is leaving in 6 days to go to Japan for a year. Its too bad as he's pretty good. He's short so I don't have to kick really high and he is really good at doing boxing pad work. He's being replaced by a Lao/Burmese looking trainer named Burning. Burning is an inch or two taller than me but 30 lbs more of muscle. I had to spar with him yesterday. It was really intimidating. He toyed around with me and kicked at my head a couple of times, luckily my guard was up so it hit my hand when I didn't block. Burning seems a bit green to me doing pad work. He's stiff and doesn't talk that much about what he wants from the fighter (or at least from me).

Wong was sick the other day, and I saw Khun Gift last night. She was sick the other day as well. Now I have a small cold. I took the day off the gym to try to get better. I feel bad about not going, but I worry about getting more sick from stressing out my body.