The Cops Pay A Visit

Pictured here is the timer that Colonel has been bringing in for awhile.  The bells aren't as loud as one on the gym's timer (which can be seen behind Colonel's), but we all can tell at what point we are in the round.

Alan was out of town on business, so I was running the place.  At first, I thought no one was going to show up, and that I might have to close up early. The weather was cool, which is not unusual for June in Chicago.  We're usually lucky to get two and a half months of summer; the rest of the year is cold here.  Not long after Jilberto unlocked the door, Kenny and Colonel walked in.  Only a few more came in -- Alicia, Professor, Geniece, and Keith.

Anthony, who works with Cease Fire, stopped by.  He told us that he has stopped smoking.  I remember Anthony used to fight at 132 pounds, and when he used to come to the gym, Anthony had problem with getting his wind.  But since putting the cigarettes down, Anthony said he feels fine.  He promised to come in on Monday because he wants to get back into the fight game.

A few cops walked into the gym, as they tend to do from time to time.  Colonel held court as he regaled them with some of his many stories.  Kenny barely acknowledged the cops -- well, it's a long story, but Kenny had been in trouble with law when he was younger.  I greeted them when they got there, but for some reason, I felt uneasy about them being in the gym.  Some of the cops who stop by seem very interested in what goes on.  There are a lot of cops in Chicago who box in their spare time.  But then there are other times when it seems like some of the cops are standing around as if they're looking for someone.  I'm a daughter of a former state cop and the second cousin to a retired Chicago cop, so I didn't grow up with a mistrust of the police.  But sometimes. . .I get odd vibes.

Kenny spent a lot of time working the punch mitts with Colonel and Keith.  Kenny was working on being a southpaw, so he decided to teach Keith how to be one.  He showed Colonel how to throw some devastating left hooks to the body.

Kenny also showed Keith a self-defense move to quickly end a street fight.  It involves getting into a boxer's stance, and putting the hands together as if in prayer -- a prayer's stance.  The idea is to give the other person the impression of "Hey, I don't want any trouble."  If the other person decides to throw hooks or wide looping punches, the person in the prayer's stance will be a good position to use their hands -- which are already up and in front of them -- to block the punches.  It also puts that person in a good position to step in quickly and get a hook in, preferably to the chin, and end the fight before it starts.

Professor worked mainly with Geniece.  He told her how important it was to have a good jab, because without the jab, it is hard to set up other punch combinations.

I pushed myself a little more, and I had a good workout.  As I dragged myself up the four flights to my apartment later (there's no elevator in my building), I thought of something talk show host David Letterman used to say about it being a good kind of tired.  The slight injury I sustained when Nayhomee hit me in the ribs a couple of days ago wasn't hurting anymore.  It was yesterday, however.  I went to see my stepmother, as we got into a cab to go downtown, I was groaning a little.  When she asked what was wrong, I replied, "I got banged up while sparring with a 21-year-old."  My stepmother shook her head and said, "Girl, when are you going to give that up?"