Slipping On Monday

The two slips I took on the ice today foretold the near falls I would take in the gym.  I fell in the alley while on my way to the doctor in the morning, and I fell again on the way home from work.  Both times, I got a good view of the sky as I lay flat on my back on the ground.

In the gym, I sparred with Sarah and Brandy.  My face took the brunt of the blows.  Both women staggered me with well-timed punches that went straight to the middle of my face.  I was a little better with aiming punches directly at their faces, but I did not connect as much as they connected their punches to me.

Brandy is very good with sticking and moving.  She steps in to deliver punches then dances out.  The technique is very effective when she's throwing body punches.  She is also good at picking her shots.  Where Sarah is concerned, I have to go for the body.  I've mentioned many times on here that I have a hard time trying to get around her long arms.  I was able to throw a jab over her right a few times, but my punches did not have the impact I desired.

As seen in the photo above, Reygie and Andre had a mini-war during their sparring session.  Reygie was caught up against the ropes several times, and Andre smashed his fist into into Reygie's face.  Reygie returned fire by getting in some head and face shots of his own.  Vachel watched the action with concern.  "Reygie was hit in the nose twice!  I couldn't do that.  No thanks," she told me.

Reygie is about 180 pounds; Andre is 280 pounds.  Alan commented that Andre looked bigger, like he had been lifting weights, but Andre said "I've lost some weight."

Walter, seen here in head gear while talking to Vachel, sparred with Brandy for a few rounds.  The last time he sparred with Reygie, they did a drill where they only used their jab.  Walter said it was hard to remember not to throw the right -- and he did by accident a couple of times -- but overall, it was a good exercise.

Alan once told me that he couldn't dance.  He proved it by playing around and showing off his version of a dance move while he was standing in the ring. "Trying to dance, Alan?" I laughed. "It's the Harlem Shake!" he said, referring to a dance that's currently being shown all over the Internet.  However, that's not the original dance, as Vachel pointed out to Alan.  The present version really has no connection to the dance craze of a decade and a half ago.  Reygie suggested that everyone in the gym make a "Harlem Shake" video to upload to YouTube.  Colonel said he would bring his video camera in to record it.  So I guess we're going to be acting up in the gym on Wednesday. . . .more laughs to be had.

Alan and Colonel renewed their coach's licences in Downers Grove this past Saturday.  From what they told me, the place was packed, and there was some confusion going on.  It made me very glad that I had gone to Sam's gym up on 35th Street several weeks ago to renew mine.  The people running the clinic ran out of licence books, so they had to give makeshift ones out.  Alan and Colonel have to wait on the real licences to be mailed to them from USA Boxing in Colorado.