If you are not a fighter

If you are not a fighter
You believe you know what a gym really is.
You’re wrong. You don’t know what a gym is.
You get out of your stuffy car looking at what looks like a run down, abused building
You learn to smile as you look at the giant door with some old black letters
You grab your bag and walk in that iron door not knowing what will happen
The abused building opening to a shining shrine where you will learn the art of pain
Staring at the clean mat and the mirror on the ground that was once
wood
You can tell that someone has shined the floor
The stench of bleach clings to the stagnant air

If you are not a fighter
You don’t and never will know respect.
Looking at the person who has taught you about pain
Asking how everything is going, bowing and saying sir or ma’am
Changing into your uniform and getting ready to teach the children first
As you walk out of the changing room they are still sitting there talking to people
Bowing on to the floor, showing respect for the floor, the countries and the teacher

If you are not a fighter
You don’t know the rush.
The little kids are done, they are bowing out of the floor
The adults are scrambling onto the floor, your blood’s starting to rush
Everyone standing still, you hear them coming up the glassy floor
THUMP BOOM THUMP BOOM THUMP BOOM
The wise teacher strolls up taking his time ‘cause he can
Every step your blood is rising more and more, higher and higher
Waiting for the clear as mud orders to tell you what to do
Scattering, trying to figure out the cloudy
Trying to think but finding out you can’t

If you are not a fighter
You don’t know what pain is.
You are staring at the partner that you hastily found
You hear a roar from an outside force yelling…………
GO!!!!!!!
You’re jumpy, you hear it and don’t think about anything but that
Your fists and his fists are in the air so fast one of you sees it coming and moves
As soon as he moves you’re right there with a kick
But he blocks it and hits you like a sledge hammer
But it doesn’t stop you as you feel the air slither away from you
He stops to check you out but you see your only chance
You spin like a roaring tornado and throw your leg up as he looks down
BAM!!!!!!!!
Your foot hit but you twisted too much and you knew that from the start
You take you and your partner to the ground smashing your heel into his head
You hear the mysterious voice
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!
You two stand up, not feeling anything at all, not the pain you have taken
An hour passes, an hour of hellish pain but you feel nothing
At the end of it all you still have the respect to smile and bow
You untie your belt and bow off the floor
Knowing some secretly, some not,
That you loved every minute of that raging pain-filled storm
Otherwise you would not be here every time you could

Then you will know what it is to be a fighter:
Knowing to do what is right, even when you think something is wrong
That is what it means to be a fighter

Robert Borkowski