We did free sparring today. I lined up with the instructor, got a few good hits in, he got a few good kicks and hits on me, and after a few rounds, I went in for a low punch, made the mistake of ducking my head doing that, and he grabbed the back of my head and pushed my head downward. “What’re you gonna do now?” he challenged. I did a front kick straight up and the back of my foot met with his left cheek. I dropped my foot but in my shock and horror at making this contact with his face, I just froze, wide-eyed, with my hands around my open mouth, and barely managed to gasp out “I’m sorry!” before I fell backward on my ass, having forgotten to regain my balance.
He at first looked shocked himself. “I didn’t expect you to be able to kick that high!” he said, and then he looked so proud.
“I thought you’d dodge it!” I declared accusingly.
He came up to me a few times after that in private and kept giving me props on my seeing an opening and taking it and getting the hit in, but I still feel bad.
Funny thing about backs – just when you think it’s healed, you fall on it a few times (unsuccessful jump kicks when the opponent’s captured my other heel in his hand) and now it’s giving me the sharp pains again. Oomph.