On: Dance Classes & Punching Bags
This article is best enjoyed while listening to the song "Park It Sideways" by Slaughterhouse - https://youtu.be/WQgxBeNjPlc
If you’re reading this, there are two things you should know:
1. I thoroughly dislike the song “Essence” by global superstars, Wizkid and Tems.
2. This piece has absolutely nothing to do with that first thing.
Instead, this piece is about the guy who taught me the subtle art of learning to dance a little with life by practicing the not-so-subtle art of boxing —a little.
Calling to the Ring: Klehmz
I met him for the first time at a gym not far from where I live. I had developed an interest in boxing at this gym after seeing the punching bag they hung up at the center of the cardio training room. I was intrigued and I wondered, nay, daydreamed about being surrounded by goons, as they held a very pretty girl hostage and I am able to easily defeat them with some “jab-jab-slip-cross-slip-hook” combination, before finally giving their ringleader an uppercut and thus saving the pretty girl as we both ran off into the sunset.
To make this daydream a reality, I needed training. So, I did what most, seemingly, self-sufficient people like me would do: I bought myself a pair of boxing gloves, downloaded an app called “Punch Lab” and started shadow boxing during my exercise routines. Trust me, it worked. Something about punching air and sweating was really enticing because not only was I getting adoring side looks from ladies in the gym whenever I did my routines, I was also getting some of the cool gym bros to acknowledge my efforts with some fist-bumping and nods. One of those cool gym bros was Klehmz.
You see, Klehmz is a gym buff but not your typical gym buff. He is not dripping with muscles and abs and he rarely —almost never— takes his shirt off to go stare at his reflection in the mirror. Chances are, if you ever came across Klehmz at the gym, he was either doing one of two things: laughing heartily like he was at a comedy show or deadlifting —or both. I hardly paid much attention to him at the gym until one fateful evening when the sound of some unfamiliar grunts hit my ears. Curious, I decided to investigate and to my utmost shock, the grunts belonged to a lady practicing her “jab-jab-cross” combo and doing it way better than I ever did. In front of her was Klehmz. He was her boxing instructor.
C‘mon Let’s Dance…
And so the journey began. But this wasn’t your typical “trainer-trainee” deal. It felt different. Turns out, all those times I thought he was one of the cool gym bros admiring my shadow boxing self-training routines, he was actually silently taking note of just how terrible my boxing form was so he could offer pointers. As our journey began, it soon became a thing for Klehmz to send me a message on WhatsApp, a day before our session, and simply write: “Yo! Dance class @5pm” and my response usually would be some faux complaint, which he’d laugh off. And without a doubt, by 5pm the next day, I’d be ready to dance.
At the start, the dances were tedious. My first session with Klehmz had me jogging for 5 minutes and I nearly died. But soon enough, I began to settle into the routines. And with the help of a few others who he also trained, I was able to get a family of sorts. In this family, Klehmz’s was our dad, but not the archetypal father figure with the authoritative demeanor. He was different. He’d laugh, goof, and tease us in between routines. He’d take his time explaining the fundamentals of our boxing forms and more importantly, he’d encourage our little (very little) progress with kind words.
In training with Klehmz, I was able to learn to leave all the angst of the day at the gym’s door. One would expect that with boxing, punching something or someone might be the actual frustration release people sought, but the opposite was true for me. I’d come to the gym looking dour and sad and then leave feeling energized simply because I felt a sense of purpose. And the purpose was nothing lofty like wanting to become a professional boxer or even getting buffed up. It was instead just me finding a reason —an excuse even— to keep moving.
With every text he’d send to me saying, “dance class @5pm” on a Tuesday or on a Thursday, unbeknownst to him, Klehmz was giving me a reason to step away from whatever it was that bothered me for that day. No matter how dreary it was, I could always drop it, just for our 90 minutes dance classes. And even on the few occasions when I missed a dance class or two, some part of me still felt like my spirit was there with them. And this is saying a lot for someone like me who doesn’t even believe in the Abrahamic religious sense of spirituality.
When the dance ends…
It’s been over a month since I last went to dance classes. He reached out about it when I had been absent for about a week and half, and I told him I was dealing with some personal stuff. His response was “take am easy…life na 1” and I remember reading that and thinking, “well, you would know”, as I chuckled a little. Klehmz had stories for days, and his stories were often laced with life lessons so subtle that you’d be likely to miss them because you’d be too busy laughing or marvelling at the entire ordeal of his tales.
He is the sort of person who could bring a smile to your face even without trying. In reflecting now, I see why I was always so keen to go for these dance classes even though I sometimes hated how rigorous it could get. It wasn’t because I wanted to be better at boxing (I could care less, honestly). It was because I figured that with Klehmz training me, each time we met, there was the silent hope that some of his gracious and mildly exuberant demeanor, could be reflected on me. And I want to believe that some of it did.
Honestly, I am not sure if I’d dance with him again. Life is still very much kicking my ass as it stands and I can’t fight back. However, I am thankful that I was opportuned to meet, interact and get some of the best dance lessons on boxing, and life tips from someone like him. And it is my deepest hope that no matter how hard life might punch him in his own personal life that is unknown to anyone else, he tries hard to ensure that nothing ever dims the light of positivity he radiates.
I hope he keeps dancing!
That’s his way. He can laugh loud for the whole world.
An interesting write up bro, thanks for not letting life's struggles keep you from penning this. It's a pleasant memory to have and I believe you will always look back fondly at it. Cheers bro.