Fight Me Like A Man

Not a big crowd on Wednesday night, which marked the end of the summer session.  Gene, Tommy, Marcus and Amy were in attendance.  Alan came in much later, having been delayed by a meeting he had to attend way out in the suburbs. 

When Alan arrived, he matched up opponents for sparring.  Tommy and Gene started things off.  Tommy was getting in a lot of pops on Gene.  "Come on, hit him back!  Don't let him just walk in on you!" Alan told Gene.  Gene began answering Tommy's punches, and Tommy nodded his approval. 

I wasn't planning to spar because of lack of opponents, and I was a bit tired.  Cleaning at church had taken somewhat of a toll on me today.  My left foot was hurting, and so was my right side.  I got a piece of chocolate candy from Pastor when it felt like my blood sugar was low.  Tommy had just finished sparring with Gene when Alan volunteered him to spar with me.  "Give me a minute," Tommy said, as he headed for the chairs in front of the lockers.

After we suited up for battle and got into the ring, Tommy said, "I'm going to get my ass kicked, but it's okay!"  I laughed.  Soon as the bell rang, Tommy came out ready.  Most of the hits I took were in my face.  "Move your head," Alan told me, which was easier said than done.  I would work my way in with the jab, and throw overhand rights, but Tommy zapped me in the face each time. 

Finally, it occurred to me to concentrate more on getting body shots in rather than aiming for Tommy's head.  I got him a couple of times with some hooks to the head that didn't have a lot of power, but I was more successful when I aimed for his ribs.  After taking particularly hard shots, including me falling into the ropes, and nearly being knocked down another time, Tommy and I kept asking each other, "Are you okay?  Are you good?"

Earlier, I had told Pastor Roger about the TKO of Sara last week.  The pastor shook his head.  "Why do you have that look on your face?  What are you shaking your head about?" I asked.  "I can't have a look on my face?" Pastor answered.  He then went into a story about a guy who appeared to be the nicest football player in the NFL.  Instead of tackling guys on the opposite team, the athlete bear hugged them and fell backwards to the ground while holding on to them.  This allegedly prevented major injuries.  "That's a nicer way to confront someone on the opposite team than to come at them with rage.  I would teach my son to deal with confrontations in better ways, while playing sports or dealing with other people, in ways like that football player did," Pastor said.  "Boxers are always told not to fight angry but to have a cool head in order not to lose control and stay focused during a match," I told Pastor. 

Alan commented later, "Tommy was fighting you like you were a man, Hillari."  "Yes, he was," I said, thinking about the shots I took to my nose and mouth.  I was practically biting down on my mouth piece to force myself to keep my mouth closed.  "But you hung in there with him," Alan noted. I had to do that because in a regular match, I may come across some women who fight like men.  As far as I'm concerned, Meg fought hard like that during the three amateur bouts we had.  I wasn't prepared for that so much, and I needed to be better prepared.  I appreciate that Tommy didn't hold back; a lot of the guys I spar with do that.

Alan had my camera while I was in the ring with Tommy, so he must have taken this shot of Marcus near the tear drop bag. 

Andres didn't come in, and he had said he wanted to take a fight tomorrow which I believe is to take place at Fuller Park out on the south side.  Alan will call me if that takes place.  I need to start thinking about preparing for the fight I may have at Loyola Park late next month.  September is coming sooner than I think.