No Hard Feelings, Just Hard Work: Nicole and Cristella's Sparring Session

There is a special bond that is formed among sparring partners. An unspoken trust made between each person that every minute of work is to be both difficult but necessary. Selfish but not spiteful. Challenging as much as each desire, for the saying “you’re only as good as your sparring partner” is often motivation to see how much you can’t just push your partner, but mostly your own self.

I recently spectated Nicole and Cristella’s sparring session, and found that bond to be ever-present. Cristella was prepping for what would be her qualifying match for the Ringmasters Finals, and Nicole’s usual work in anticipation for future bouts (shortly afterward, she announced her participation in the upcoming World Police & Fire Games in Rotterdam). Regardless of the events that were days/weeks/months away, each of them brought to the session a level of intensity and dedication that spoke towards their desires to test their skills. For the minutes of work cherry picked from countless hours of their own training, they hoped to elevate each other towards a common goal: to leave the gym better than when they arrived.

The act of shadowboxing was a real time enactment of a fight itself as both began breaking into a hard sweat and patterned breathing. Each round of sparring pulled the attention of active gym members who lingered ringside long after classes were finished. Both Nicole and Cristella’s talents were on display, and for the privileged few that were present that day might have found inspiration in how these two conducted themselves both with such grit and grace. More importantly, as the rounds would come to its final seconds, both fighters would always give a reassuring smile and embrace to show that there’s no hard feelings, just hard work.