tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165935972012-01-30T23:37:46.010-06:00Adventures in boxing of a middle-aged tomboy.Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.comBlogger6181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-35003703631284905342012-01-30T23:37:00.000-06:002012-01-30T23:37:46.022-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSVcMl6BsJo/Tyd25OpnRDI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/LSuMvpI_Z-U/s1600/Laila+Ali+dukes+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSVcMl6BsJo/Tyd25OpnRDI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/LSuMvpI_Z-U/s1600/Laila+Ali+dukes+up.jpg" /></a></div>The electricity was out at the field house, so the gym was not open tonight.&nbsp; Alan called me a couple of hours before the gym was due to open to let me know.&nbsp; He said he had some paperwork to catch up on, so it worked out for him.&nbsp; I had to figure out what to do with my evening.&nbsp; Cleaning the house?&nbsp; Something I'd rather do in the daylight, and only if I'm in the mood.&nbsp; Doing the laundry?&nbsp; I still can't find my stash of quarters, and I'll have to buy a new roll of them.&nbsp; Watching TV?&nbsp; On Monday, nothing's on until ten o'clock when "Chelsea Lately" airs.<br /><br />I still needed to write a Monday blog entry, but I couldn't think of what to put in this space.&nbsp; Then I remembered Alan saying something last week about, "Hillari used to be the queen bee in the gym until these other women started coming in."&nbsp; Yeah, I was.&nbsp; I don't state that in a egotistical way.&nbsp; I'm not stomping into the gym ready to start something like Aunt Esther.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QKKo5jkeII/Tyd3BHLP3fI/AAAAAAAAAkY/JuV6Lx0eXC0/s1600/Aunt+Esther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QKKo5jkeII/Tyd3BHLP3fI/AAAAAAAAAkY/JuV6Lx0eXC0/s320/Aunt+Esther.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br />Nor am I making grand entrances and airly announcing, "Look at me and be dazzled," like the fabulous Nene Leakes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqtZlrOEv5w/Tyd3EpaOUcI/AAAAAAAAAkg/8Hgm5jpDhFU/s1600/Nene+Leakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqtZlrOEv5w/Tyd3EpaOUcI/AAAAAAAAAkg/8Hgm5jpDhFU/s1600/Nene+Leakes.jpg" /></a></div><br />I think of being a queen bee partially because&nbsp;I've been there for so long.&nbsp; It'll be ten years come this August.&nbsp; I started out regularly showing up like everyone else, then I became a volunteer in 2006 (been a volunteer in the gym&nbsp;for six years as of this spring).&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMvs5S9XCfo/Tyd3G4rlPlI/AAAAAAAAAko/0hpj7umLgPc/s1600/Honey+West.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMvs5S9XCfo/Tyd3G4rlPlI/AAAAAAAAAko/0hpj7umLgPc/s320/Honey+West.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I'm also a queen bee sort of like Honey West.&nbsp; A bit of TV history:&nbsp; "Honey West" was a detective series in 1965 on ABC, and the first show of its type to feature a woman chasing down criminals.&nbsp; Honey was a tough cookie.&nbsp;&nbsp;In just about every episode of that short-lived series, she was giving out beat downs.&nbsp;&nbsp;But she wasn't so hard that she turned people off, and she was very helpful to everyone who sought out her assistance.&nbsp; I like to think that I'm helpful in showing people that boxing is enjoyable.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHRHP4telfs/Tyd2xq-PysI/AAAAAAAAAkI/TLLvzgCpAXg/s1600/50th+birthday+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHRHP4telfs/Tyd2xq-PysI/AAAAAAAAAkI/TLLvzgCpAXg/s320/50th+birthday+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3500370363128490534?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-36202837911993695262012-01-26T22:47:00.000-06:002012-01-26T22:47:44.400-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8vPxbG8C2-Q/TyIjKW2iYPI/AAAAAAAAAjI/6QdXRVmjqiw/s1600/Leroy+in+the+ring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8vPxbG8C2-Q/TyIjKW2iYPI/AAAAAAAAAjI/6QdXRVmjqiw/s320/Leroy+in+the+ring.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>While several of us waited on Alan to open the gym door on Wednesday, Leroy expressed a thought that I had heard several times before.&nbsp; He said he needed to have more hours to train, but the Loyola Park gym doesn't offer enough of them.&nbsp; That's one reason why Steve, the former coach, would say that people needed to do extra workouts outside of the gym.&nbsp; But I can understand why guys like Leroy, who really want to compete, would want to have more time in a gym.<br /><br />Jacob and Leroy sparred, and they were good matches for each other.&nbsp; Jacob was really working his jab, and Leroy was answering punches very well.&nbsp; Ray was giving extra instructions from the side.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-biFiXlLe3YU/TyIjHVrwwpI/AAAAAAAAAjA/BNEdf7AuN28/s1600/Jacob+vs+Leroy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-biFiXlLe3YU/TyIjHVrwwpI/AAAAAAAAAjA/BNEdf7AuN28/s320/Jacob+vs+Leroy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Alan told me to get ready because I had a line of women wanting to spar with me.&nbsp; Abby and I sparred for one round and we went light.&nbsp; She was pawing most of the time, and Alan encouraged her to put her punches all the way out.<br /><br />Brandy and I sparred for three rounds and her punches seemed to be harder than the last time we were in the ring.&nbsp; A few times I had my hands down, but I quickly remembered to put them back up once I was rocked with some hits.&nbsp; I caught&nbsp;a right fist&nbsp;to my left eye, and several punches&nbsp;reached my mid-section.&nbsp; I kept trying to deliver hooks, but Brandy was very good at backing up and avoiding most of them.&nbsp; I got her with a jab, and her right eye blinked furiously.&nbsp; "Are you okay?" Alan and I asked.&nbsp; "It's just my contact moving around," she said.&nbsp; Afterwards, Brandy said that it was very easy to telegraph my overhand right.&nbsp; She dodged it each time.&nbsp; I'm either going to practice and get it right or stop doing it altogether.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V51Wg3IP6xk/TyIjTbvp2fI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/MY-k4SIHCNg/s1600/Sarah+and+Jacob+hands+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V51Wg3IP6xk/TyIjTbvp2fI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/MY-k4SIHCNg/s320/Sarah+and+Jacob+hands+up.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Melinda sparred with Sarah, and she immediately threw hard punches.&nbsp; Sarah returned the same, and Melinda became tired quickly.&nbsp; Alan told Melinda, "If you start throwing bombs, Sarah has no choice but to defend herself and hit hard back."&nbsp; Then he put Sarah in with Jacob.&nbsp; Alan was saying that perhaps he should put Sarah in with guys more because of her punching power, and several others in the gym -- including me -- agreed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piPEgI1VNCc/TyIjYjD2ekI/AAAAAAAAAjY/MUISeF0jHas/s1600/Sarah+backs+up+Jacob.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piPEgI1VNCc/TyIjYjD2ekI/AAAAAAAAAjY/MUISeF0jHas/s320/Sarah+backs+up+Jacob.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alan had his finger surgery the day before, so he had a cast on.&nbsp;&nbsp; That made it difficult for him to help people suit up, so I was doing those duties.&nbsp; It's going to be six weeks before his hand is back to normal.<br /><br />Today, Pastor Roger asked if I had thought about being paid to coach boxing.&nbsp; I'm often offered to coach individuals for free when asked.&nbsp; Amateur boxing coaches do get paid, like the ones in the Chicago Park District system (Alan, George, Jack, Bill, etc.).&nbsp; But I didn't think most who were not associated with a gym did.&nbsp; "Why don't you coach both amateurs and professionals?" the pastor asked.&nbsp; "I'd have to be licensed as a professional coach to work with pros," I said.&nbsp; I told him I want to have one more fight, but I don't get as many fights as the guys do.&nbsp; Pastor wondered if I could be a professional boxer, but I explained that the same health issues that keep me out of sanctioned amateur matches&nbsp;would&nbsp;also keep me from getting a professional boxing license.&nbsp; <br /><br />"What about doing MMA?" Pastor Roger inquired.&nbsp; "I'm tough enough to take the knocks that I get in boxing, but I'm not sturdy enough for the take downs that happen in that sport.&nbsp; If I was 20 years younger, I'd be all over that."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3620283791199369526?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-56899619989145577872012-01-23T23:38:00.001-06:002012-01-23T23:39:30.117-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K9piCw5ijls/Tx45Si-U7DI/AAAAAAAAAig/yrJq5gGbHZI/s1600/Amanda+exercises+in+the+ring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K9piCw5ijls/Tx45Si-U7DI/AAAAAAAAAig/yrJq5gGbHZI/s320/Amanda+exercises+in+the+ring.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In the photo above, Amanda works out in the ring.&nbsp; She had attended the gym several months ago, and now she's back.&nbsp; Melinda observed her on the heavy bag and said, "She looks like she's fought before."&nbsp; "I think she told me she did," I replied.&nbsp; Amanda was also showing Abby how to execute some punches.<br /><br />I sparred with Brandy and Melinda.&nbsp; Alan pointed out that Brandy executes her punches well.&nbsp; She got me with a few solid bops to my stomach.&nbsp; I was so busy keeping my hands up to protect my face that I forgot to cover my mid-section.&nbsp; Before when I was shadow boxing, I was throwing my jabs very fast.&nbsp; While sparring, I reverted back to having a slow hand.&nbsp; Then a light bulb went on.&nbsp; <em>"I can throw them fast, so why don't I?"</em> I thought.&nbsp; Brandy was overwhelmed for a minute.&nbsp; Alan told her to grab me by the arms to slow down the assault.&nbsp; <br /><br />Before I sparred with Melinda, Alan told me, "She's a bigger girl, so she'll probably hit harder."&nbsp; Melinda does have strong punches, but she kept switching between southpaw and traditional stances.&nbsp; "You've got to pick one stance and stay with it.&nbsp; We'll work on that," Alan told her.&nbsp; "I kept switching sides because I was getting tired," she explained.&nbsp; During our last round, Melinda dug down and came out throwing a flurry of punches.&nbsp; She knows how to block very well.&nbsp; "My dad didn't teach any of my siblings and I how to fight, but he did teach us how to block punches," Melinda said later.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEvv-qtRVgg/Tx45mBfAPbI/AAAAAAAAAi4/LUUFMpg7yfU/s1600/Activity+in+the+gym+Jan+23+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEvv-qtRVgg/Tx45mBfAPbI/AAAAAAAAAi4/LUUFMpg7yfU/s320/Activity+in+the+gym+Jan+23+12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I noticed that outside of Amy, none of the people who've been coming in for awhile like Jacob and Ray, were in the gym tonight.&nbsp; It was all folks who hadn't been in for awhile like Paul (in the left in the picture above) and the new people.&nbsp; The last time I noticed a change like that was right after Alan took over the gym, and mostly all the regulars who attended while Steve was there were gone.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9VOy4EBLJg/Tx45cMDlpGI/AAAAAAAAAiw/mz5-1uGdTDs/s1600/Ana+near+the+lockers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9VOy4EBLJg/Tx45cMDlpGI/AAAAAAAAAiw/mz5-1uGdTDs/s320/Ana+near+the+lockers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I called myself sneaking a candid shot of Ana while she sat in front of the lockers.&nbsp; She turned just as the flash went off.&nbsp; "This is such an amazing workout, and I'm never bored," she told me.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dIVhgrxtnrY/Tx45WScFejI/AAAAAAAAAio/yGHH60m5lkI/s1600/Alan%2527s+crooked+finger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dIVhgrxtnrY/Tx45WScFejI/AAAAAAAAAio/yGHH60m5lkI/s320/Alan%2527s+crooked+finger.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>&nbsp;See the second finger on Alan's raised hand next to his pinky finger?&nbsp; He has to have outpatient surgery to straighten it out.&nbsp; There was a spider crawling on Alan's back, and I flicked it off.&nbsp; I remembered hearing something about the meaning of spiders crawling on people, so I looked it up.&nbsp; Two things kept coming up:&nbsp; the presence of a spider on one's clothes means money is coming to that person or they will get new clothes.&nbsp; Hmm. . .Alan did come to the gym wearing a new jacket tonight, come to think of it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5689961998914557787?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-30498847323674491542012-01-20T13:29:00.000-06:002012-01-20T13:29:45.352-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1ERcW95eoI/Txm38LUX_XI/AAAAAAAAAhg/Ppywd0i4Mz8/s1600/Brandy+takes+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1ERcW95eoI/Txm38LUX_XI/AAAAAAAAAhg/Ppywd0i4Mz8/s320/Brandy+takes+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alan said to me on Wednesday, "I didn't see your blog entry on Monday."&nbsp; My laptop computer has been in the shop since last Saturday.&nbsp; Micro Center is taking its sweet time getting around to letting me know what's wrong with it.&nbsp; I was told on Wednesday that they were running a diagnostic test.&nbsp; Today is Friday, and when I called the repair shop to check on it again, their voice mail was on.&nbsp; I forgot to bring my camera to the gym on Monday, and I didn't get a chance to type in what happened that night.&nbsp; Today's entry will cover the entire week, and I'm using a computer at church.&nbsp; &nbsp;The photo above is of Brandy, as she works out on one of the heavy bags.<br /><br />The gym was open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.&nbsp; Mike, a new guy, came in.&nbsp; "I missed the first few times," he said, and I told him I was glad he came in that night.&nbsp; The attendance list had expanded, reflecting all of the people who had signed up, but some people did not appear that night.&nbsp; They might have thought the field house was closed.&nbsp; <br /><br />Because I did not have my camera on Monday, I missed taking photos of the action between Alan and Jacob, who sparred four to five rounds.&nbsp; Ray noticed how Alan adjusts his fighting style to different opponents.&nbsp; I also missed having pictures taken of myself sparring with tall Sarah and Brandy (blond Sarah would have taken the photos if I had the camera).&nbsp; Tall Sarah and I went light the first round.&nbsp; My main problem was that I was not focused enough.&nbsp; The ring is no place for daydreaming, and I paid for my inattention a few times.&nbsp; <br /><br />The second round I did was with Brandy.&nbsp; She popped me in both of my eyes when I forgot to keep my chin down.&nbsp; I got her with some right hooks, one of which turned her around a little.&nbsp; She kept her jab going the entire time.&nbsp; <br /><br />The third round was with tall Sarah again, and that turned into our usual war.&nbsp; Brandy was watching from the sidelines, and she commented, "You all went hard!"&nbsp; I grabbed Sarah's arms a few times to slow her down, but I still took cracks to my head.<br /><br />Ray told me about a new gym that opened on Montrose and Western.&nbsp; His friend Chuck, who's a pro boxer, trains there.&nbsp; From what Ray told me, the place is dead serious.&nbsp; "Nobody speaks to you when you walk in.&nbsp; You might get a nod, but those guys are hungry.&nbsp; Most of them are planning to turn pro," he said.&nbsp; It's also a training ground for MMA fighters.&nbsp; <br /><br />At the end of Monday evening, Ray was changing out of his shirt.&nbsp; "Don't admire my sexiness, Hil," he joked to me.&nbsp; "Well, I'm always sneaking looks when Alan has his shirt off," I said.&nbsp; "Of all people, you don't want to see me with my clothes off," Alan smiled.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TvSS99RkRTc/Txm3yRvN6TI/AAAAAAAAAhY/KxTMYdqb5sE/s1600/Alan+watches+Sarah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TvSS99RkRTc/Txm3yRvN6TI/AAAAAAAAAhY/KxTMYdqb5sE/s320/Alan+watches+Sarah.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>On Wednesday, two more women joined the gym, Abby and Melinda.&nbsp; Their presences brought the number of females in the gym up to nine, which is the biggest number of females I've eve seen in the gym.&nbsp; Melinda said she's eager to spar.&nbsp; "You never know when you'll have to protect yourself," she said, and I agreed.&nbsp; Abby is not so keen on getting into the ring.&nbsp; <br /><br />Leroy and Matthieu sparred.&nbsp; Later, I heard Leroy telling Ray that he hadn't boxed since he was 22 years old (Leroy is 27).&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlNNO2RH47I/Txm4No7FqaI/AAAAAAAAAhw/UrUY8xz7Veo/s1600/Matthieu+and+Leroy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlNNO2RH47I/Txm4No7FqaI/AAAAAAAAAhw/UrUY8xz7Veo/s320/Matthieu+and+Leroy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I did a round robin with both Brandy and Sarah again.&nbsp; Before I got into the ring, Alan gave me instructions.&nbsp; "I want you to adopt a new game plan.&nbsp; Keep your hands up at all times and wait until she (Sarah) gets close before throwing punches," he said.&nbsp; The strategy worked, because I didn't take as many head shots, and I didn't get tired as fast.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k6iJbI_27ws/Txm4gJBJURI/AAAAAAAAAiA/DsJAaWtJIz8/s1600/Me+in+the+middle+of+the+ring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k6iJbI_27ws/Txm4gJBJURI/AAAAAAAAAiA/DsJAaWtJIz8/s320/Me+in+the+middle+of+the+ring.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Brandy hit harder than usual.&nbsp; A sock in my mouth gave me a bruised lip.&nbsp; Another hit rocked me in my left eye.&nbsp; "Move your head. . .it's harder to hit a moving target," Ray said.&nbsp; Once I began to move my head, I was able to avoid some punches.&nbsp; I got Brandy with a few hooks, but she backed away and avoided my overhand rights.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZLDucjkHjw/Txm4FEAzQsI/AAAAAAAAAho/mHurPWNx73E/s1600/I+duck+Sarah%2527s+punch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZLDucjkHjw/Txm4FEAzQsI/AAAAAAAAAho/mHurPWNx73E/s320/I+duck+Sarah%2527s+punch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a very nice surprise when Colonel showed up.&nbsp; Colonel's on a walker, and still in a bit of pain from his hip replacement operation, but otherwise, he's fine.&nbsp; He explained that his son Kenny is working hard on a book about the history of graffiti in Chicago which is why Kenny hasn't been in for awhile.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C2rHOKspLVs/Txm5JxTXJ8I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/0KA7XUJh2VQ/s1600/Ray+Leroy+and+Sarah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C2rHOKspLVs/Txm5JxTXJ8I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/0KA7XUJh2VQ/s320/Ray+Leroy+and+Sarah.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ray and Leroy (who's shirtless) have a laugh in this photo.&nbsp; Blonde Sarah tackles the speed bag nearby.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpzVJoVoFhc/Txm4qrp0QfI/AAAAAAAAAiI/4YWKD8d-qF8/s1600/Melinda+and+Abby+on+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpzVJoVoFhc/Txm4qrp0QfI/AAAAAAAAAiI/4YWKD8d-qF8/s320/Melinda+and+Abby+on+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Melinda (in the light shirt) holds the speed bag for Abby.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Giru2PAkS10/Txm4W99EkOI/AAAAAAAAAh4/h0TS8JiZ0Mg/s1600/Abby+works+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Giru2PAkS10/Txm4W99EkOI/AAAAAAAAAh4/h0TS8JiZ0Mg/s320/Abby+works+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Abby warily watches the speed bag in this photo.&nbsp; She told me that she's played rugby in the past.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOKI3rRDp-s/Txm5aSp-05I/AAAAAAAAAiY/n-frOb2DzSk/s1600/Sarah+jokes+with+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOKI3rRDp-s/Txm5aSp-05I/AAAAAAAAAiY/n-frOb2DzSk/s320/Sarah+jokes+with+Ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sarah jokes around with Ray in this photo, pretending to give him a knockout punch.<br /><br />No word yet about any coaches' clinics that will be held within Chicago city limits (for a change).&nbsp; It appears that I might just have to take my chances renewing my coach's license next month without having been to a clinic if one doesn't take place closer to me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3049884732367449154?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-63505288457323553922012-01-11T23:50:00.000-06:002012-01-11T23:50:11.860-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXOK5_o1RY8/Tw5sxc-uZ7I/AAAAAAAAAg4/v8edwa8epuo/s1600/Matthieu+gets+Alan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXOK5_o1RY8/Tw5sxc-uZ7I/AAAAAAAAAg4/v8edwa8epuo/s320/Matthieu+gets+Alan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was in bed the majority of today.&nbsp; I'm usually good at managing all of my health problems, but sometimes one of them decides it's going to take me for a bumpy ride.&nbsp; I woke up at four in the morning, my head pounding.&nbsp; Since I couldn't sleep, I took a baby aspirin and turned on the TV.&nbsp; There was an episode of "Mr. Ed" on regarding the horse's objection over Wilbur accepting a bear rug from his grumpy father-in-law.&nbsp; It beat watching the parade of infocommercials on the other channels.&nbsp; The headache still hadn't gone away by the time the alarm went off.&nbsp; I laid back down, worried about having a stroke.&nbsp; Because of high blood pressure, I'm at risk.&nbsp; My dad had a stroke back in 2000, and his health wasn't quite the same afterwards.&nbsp; Another couple of hours went by, and I called Pastor Roger to tell him that I was going to take a rest today.&nbsp; The headache was finally gone by late afternoon, and I felt well enough to get ready for the gym. &nbsp; Tomorrow, I'll get my high blood pressure meds refilled.&nbsp; It's my fault that I always wait until the pills are gone, then I call the doctor, who then can't see me right away.<br /><br />"You're too short," Alan said, as I helped him put on sparring gloves to get in the ring with Matthieu .&nbsp; It's always a little hard to help put gloves on him because of that.&nbsp; He has to push his hands down into the gloves, and because I'm so close to the ground, it's not easy for him to do.&nbsp; "I know.&nbsp; I haven't grown since I was thirteen years old," I chuckled.&nbsp;<br /><br />Matthieu caught Alan by surprise with a right (it had just happened before I shot the photo above).&nbsp; Alan later said, "I wondered where did that come from?"&nbsp; It looked as if Matthieu has become more confident in the ring.&nbsp; He did a great job of keeping his eyes on Alan and watching him.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o4x4USD3EE/Tw5sy_aLDFI/AAAAAAAAAhA/QdPDT5GKsnE/s1600/Alan+and+Matthieu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o4x4USD3EE/Tw5sy_aLDFI/AAAAAAAAAhA/QdPDT5GKsnE/s320/Alan+and+Matthieu.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Brandi gleefully announced that she had a mouthpiece and wanted to spar with me.&nbsp; "We'll go light," I said, which is my standard response to everyone who spars for the first time in the gym.&nbsp; Brandi had taken fitness boxing before, but tonight was her first time sparring ever.&nbsp; "What are the basic rules for sparring?" she asked after we had suited up.&nbsp; "The idea is not to kill one another, but to work with each other and practice technique," I answered.&nbsp; Ana and blond Sarah took ringside seats to watch the action, as well as several others in the gym.&nbsp; Brandi was quite good.&nbsp; She caught me with several shots to the body.&nbsp; She blocked a lot of my punches that were aimed at her mid-section and her head.&nbsp; "That was fun!" Brandi said afterwards.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GORt6SqMvd4/Tw5s0LAPAFI/AAAAAAAAAhI/gpM1snmv50s/s1600/Matthieu+and+Ian+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GORt6SqMvd4/Tw5s0LAPAFI/AAAAAAAAAhI/gpM1snmv50s/s320/Matthieu+and+Ian+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFLCYyGADgU/Tw5s1cEwNFI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/ojH3c_xNo8w/s1600/Matthieu+and+Ian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFLCYyGADgU/Tw5s1cEwNFI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/ojH3c_xNo8w/s320/Matthieu+and+Ian.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Matthieu also sparred with Ian for a few rounds.&nbsp; Ian often had his hands down, but he hung in there with Matthieu. <br /><br />Mary came in to remind Alan to make sure that there's no one working out in the gym who hasn't paid the fee.&nbsp; On Monday, Alan made that announcement to people several times.&nbsp; Both Alan and I noticed the gym was not as crowded as it had been the other day.&nbsp; I knew that Wayne hadn't paid, and I don't think Robert was signed up, either.&nbsp; A tall, lanky guy walked into the gym tonight wondering if the program was an open gym.&nbsp; I explained about the fee and directed him to Mary, who was at the front desk.&nbsp; He didn't return, so I'm assuming he either didn't pay, or he paid but decided to start next week.&nbsp; <br /><br />I found the fan.&nbsp; I thought someone had walked with it.&nbsp; The gym was very hot on Monday, probably due to all the people who were packed inside it.&nbsp; It was hot again today, and on top of that, I kept having hot flashes.&nbsp; The fan was hiding behind a stand alone file cabinet.&nbsp; I turned it on, but it was still steamy in the room.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-6350528845732355392?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-34634276837740247182012-01-10T14:52:00.000-06:002012-01-10T14:52:03.055-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpA8DlBHo0g/TwyW1B7dY7I/AAAAAAAAAgQ/aKXQaDGvqNo/s1600/PICT1361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpA8DlBHo0g/TwyW1B7dY7I/AAAAAAAAAgQ/aKXQaDGvqNo/s320/PICT1361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>"You see that it's a full house," I told Alan as he approached the gym.&nbsp; Several new people were waiting in the hall, including Paul, Robert, Jamal, Brandi, Anna and Sarah.&nbsp; Wayne, who trained with Barry, came in not long after the door was open.&nbsp; Matthieu, another guy named Paul who's closer to Alan's age,&nbsp;and Ian,&nbsp;none of whom hadn't been in the gym for awhile, returned.&nbsp; As I feared, Igor signed up again, too. The picture above shows Ray (in the middle) talking to Robert (in the headgear) and Wayne (on the right).<br /><br />Robert and Ray sparred, and it was a good match up.&nbsp; Robert is a MMA fighter who's had a few bouts.&nbsp; He hung in there with Ray and got some great shots off.&nbsp; Ray was working Robert with hooks.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjrxHNGeHIg/TwyW8RICoaI/AAAAAAAAAgY/53GYSDHx1zc/s1600/PICT1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjrxHNGeHIg/TwyW8RICoaI/AAAAAAAAAgY/53GYSDHx1zc/s320/PICT1362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sarah and I sparred as blonde Sarah (who I had met before at my church) and Brandi watched.&nbsp; I got one right in to Sarah's head, but the rest of the time, I went for hooks to the middle.&nbsp; Sarah got me with an uppercut that made me glad my mouth was closed, and that I was wearing a mouthpiece for protection.&nbsp; I was too worn out to go a fourth round.&nbsp; Luckily, I wasn't hit in the nose again.&nbsp; It's still hurting a little from last week when Alan popped me in it.<br /><br />I asked Matthieu where was his girlfriend Erica.&nbsp; "She moved out," he told me, and I said I was sorry to hear that.&nbsp;&nbsp;Women problems seemed to be the norm that night, as Ray's wife was waiting around outside the gym door, and she didn't look happy.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc8J60dEGpA/TwyXDEKpETI/AAAAAAAAAgg/cg_YQkbwA0Q/s1600/PICT1363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc8J60dEGpA/TwyXDEKpETI/AAAAAAAAAgg/cg_YQkbwA0Q/s320/PICT1363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Reggie joked with Jacob about entering the Golden Gloves.&nbsp; The schedule came out yesterday.&nbsp; I printed a copy and taped it up in the gym.&nbsp; It's uncertain at the point who among the guys will be interested in competing.&nbsp; They've got a little over two months to prepare for it, if they do.&nbsp; Jacob would be a good prospect, but that depends on how healed his thumb is.&nbsp; Ray's in the same situation.&nbsp; Reggie did well in the prelims the last time he was in; I believe he could go further this time.&nbsp; Wayne and Robert would be good picks too, if they're interested.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMCUsgJY76c/TwyXJDw4E3I/AAAAAAAAAgo/ZSvVdDdUNs8/s1600/PICT1364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMCUsgJY76c/TwyXJDw4E3I/AAAAAAAAAgo/ZSvVdDdUNs8/s320/PICT1364.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I held pads for Brandi, she told me that she had taken fitness boxing before.&nbsp; There were no bags in the gym she attended.&nbsp; The coach worked with everyone using punch pads.&nbsp; "There was only one other woman in that gym, but she never wanted to spar.&nbsp; We would put mats down for the guys when they sparred.&nbsp; I'm glad to come here and see several women around," she said.&nbsp; <br /><br />Anna, who's from Bosnia, was enthusiastic about her time in the gym.&nbsp; "It's a good overall workout," she told me.&nbsp; I showed Sarah how to move as she threw rights and lefts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Blonde Sarah is&nbsp;unsure about sparring, and Anna had already said that she's not interested in sparring or competing at all.&nbsp; Brandi might be looking at sparring.&nbsp; Alan told her, "Hillari would be good to work with during sparring."&nbsp; It's just a matter of time before Alan tries to convince the other women to get into the ring as well.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKIn5VZsrGs/TwyXQGslEjI/AAAAAAAAAgw/V2Gnj3jad7c/s1600/PICT1365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WKIn5VZsrGs/TwyXQGslEjI/AAAAAAAAAgw/V2Gnj3jad7c/s320/PICT1365.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Alan never got a chance to workout himself Monday night because there were so many people in the gym.&nbsp; That's one of the drawbacks of being a coach.&nbsp; I remember Steve, the former coach, telling me that a few years ago.&nbsp; But there is satisfaction in showing others about the Sweet Science.&nbsp; Speaking of coaching, I wasn't able to attend a recent coaches' clinic that was held this past Sunday.&nbsp; It was in Downers Grove, and I had already missed two weeks of church service due to&nbsp;working for the pet/house sitting company.&nbsp; I'm one of those folks who still believe in regularly attending church services; scheduling things on Sunday morning is not always good.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I sent an email back to the person who's the head of USA Boxing coordination in Illinois asking if there were going to be any coaches' clinics held within Chicago city limits this time.&nbsp; I don't have a car,&nbsp;I don't want to rely on Metra and/or Pace to get somewhere, and getting to some suburbs and small towns is difficult, if not impossible, for me.&nbsp; I need to attend another clinic; the last one I went to was in Harvey, and that wasn't extremely hard to get there.&nbsp; The gym where the clinic was held was around the corner from the Metra station.&nbsp; There are hundreds of boxing coaches within Chicago alone, so having a clinic within the city shouldn't be a problem.&nbsp; I haven't heard back yet, but I hope I do before the Golden Glove signups take place next month.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3463427683774024718?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-66828290692637318272012-01-05T00:49:00.000-06:002012-01-05T00:49:17.346-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEwO047XFPg/TwVBpgE_K6I/AAAAAAAAAf8/pnMIx8jk8Ag/s1600/Alan+and+Ray+go+at+it.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEwO047XFPg/TwVBpgE_K6I/AAAAAAAAAf8/pnMIx8jk8Ag/s320/Alan+and+Ray+go+at+it.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Wednesday evening was the only day the gym was open this week due to the fact the field house was closed on Monday for the New Year's holiday.&nbsp; Ray was the only other guy in the gym besides Alan (the two of them are sparring in the photo above).&nbsp; Sarah, Amy, and Renee came in.<br /><br />Renee decided she wanted to spar, but she wanted to ease back into it.&nbsp; She and I only did one round, and we went light.&nbsp; I did some little movements and dancing around that I normally don't do while I was in the ring with her.&nbsp; Renee caught me good with some body shots, however.&nbsp; She kept asking if I was okay, and apologizing.&nbsp; Finally, Alan said, "Don't say you're sorry."&nbsp; I laughed and said, "That's what the former coach used to say to me all the time."&nbsp;<br /><br />I stayed in the ring as Renee got out, and Alan stepped in.&nbsp; I had to change my game plan, and it wasn't always working.&nbsp; Renee and I are about the same height, more or less.&nbsp; I had to reach punches up to get Alan.&nbsp; As Ray pointed out (he sparred with Alan after I was done), Alan has quick feet.&nbsp; Alan got me in the nose.&nbsp; It still hurts a bit as I type this, but I can breathe well, so it's not broken.&nbsp; But it stunned me into paying more attention to covering up better.&nbsp;<br /><br />Alan got another "oof!" out of me, but he thought it was a shot to my stomach that did it.&nbsp; It was a reaction to a punch I took to a sensitive spot on the left side of my chest.&nbsp; There's a spot on the right side of my chest that would be sensitive if hit, also.&nbsp; Think about it.&nbsp; Later when I told Alan, and he apologized up and down.&nbsp; "Don't worry about it.&nbsp; I'm a tough chick.&nbsp; Besides, I should have been wearing my chest protector," I smiled.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BL9_bkDZmds/TwVGAu2xySI/AAAAAAAAAgI/UUH0nKkf9Ls/s1600/Ray+and+Alan+need+to+break.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BL9_bkDZmds/TwVGAu2xySI/AAAAAAAAAgI/UUH0nKkf9Ls/s320/Ray+and+Alan+need+to+break.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ray and Alan scuffled in the corner in this photo.&nbsp; Ray got in a couple of quick uppercuts, and Alan worked his jab.&nbsp; During the last round they sparred, Ray said he needed to go to the men's room.&nbsp; Alan joked, "I'm not going to give a 240 pound guy time to recover!"&nbsp; They continued, but then Ray really needed to go, and he had to sprint down the hall.&nbsp;<br /><br />Renee was concerned about the amount of people who may show up next Monday.&nbsp; She said she took the last open spot when she signed up for the winter session online.&nbsp; "Don't worry. . .half of the people will be gone after two weeks," I said.&nbsp; Alan agreed, pointing out that some sign up and only show up once or twice.&nbsp; Some sign up and never come in at all.&nbsp; But Monday will be packed, as it usually is in January.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-6682829069263731827?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-54993005977986047262011-12-29T11:21:00.000-06:002011-12-29T11:21:53.887-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnUcoylIUrs/TvyZzIsrzTI/AAAAAAAAAeg/0C7Sz0QThzo/s1600/My+bag+gloves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnUcoylIUrs/TvyZzIsrzTI/AAAAAAAAAeg/0C7Sz0QThzo/s320/My+bag+gloves.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alan was the only person inside the gym when I got there.&nbsp; We figured that probably no one else was coming in due to the holidays.&nbsp; He and I were talking while shadow boxing,.&nbsp; I told him that I saw the photo his son Matt had put up of himself and Alan on Facebook.&nbsp; "One of Matt's female friends saw the picture and said that the both of us were studs.&nbsp; That made me feel good!" Alan smiled.&nbsp; <br /><br />When Ralphie got there about 45 minutes later, Alan and I were in the middle of four rounds of sparring.&nbsp; The two oldest folks in the place were swinging on each other.&nbsp; "Did Alan beat up everyone else and scare them off?" Ralphie joked.&nbsp; Once again, Alan caught me not protecting my middle.&nbsp; Five times he got me in the gut.&nbsp; I got in a straight right, and he commented, "Nice."&nbsp; Then I did an overhand right, which also caught him.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5T81eWo2q0/TvycFRr-z0I/AAAAAAAAAe8/XAcNsAQT5d4/s1600/Ralphie+takes+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5T81eWo2q0/TvycFRr-z0I/AAAAAAAAAe8/XAcNsAQT5d4/s320/Ralphie+takes+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Afterwards, I worked on the other heavy bag (Ralphie was working on the red bag, as seen in the photo above).&nbsp; <i>"This bag feels lighter than usual," </i>I thought. A check of the floor below didn't reveal any sand laying around.&nbsp; Then I noticed no duct tape was on the bag.&nbsp; The old bag was in the corner, so I guessed Barry must have changed it out the last time he was in the gym.&nbsp; Despite the lightness, the bag still felt good, especially when I threw my hooks.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PIZNIZv9TeI/TvydgEpz6hI/AAAAAAAAAfI/9oXdjjzTjcM/s1600/Alan+unwraps+his+hands.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PIZNIZv9TeI/TvydgEpz6hI/AAAAAAAAAfI/9oXdjjzTjcM/s320/Alan+unwraps+his+hands.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pastor Roger shared on Facebook that his one year old son is now walking.&nbsp; I sent him a note stating that I was going to be looking for boxing equipment that fits a toddler so we can start the boy's boxing lessons.&nbsp; I haven't heard a response yet. . .heh, heh. The pastor's son is in the picture below that was taken some time ago.&nbsp; Trust me, the kid is bigger than that now.&nbsp; "All boy", like his mother says.&nbsp; You can also see from the boy's shirt what sport his dad is more interested in.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QYLZGtEPbtg/TvyfGFUoUHI/AAAAAAAAAfc/ks_RAt46PrE/s1600/Isaac+smiling+and+walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QYLZGtEPbtg/TvyfGFUoUHI/AAAAAAAAAfc/ks_RAt46PrE/s320/Isaac+smiling+and+walking.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />&nbsp;Ralphie showed Alan and I pictures of his child, who is about a year and half old.&nbsp; "He's trying to walk.&nbsp; Almost there," he said proudly as he showed us the photos on his cell phone.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The last time I exercised at home, I got on the scale at home and it told me that I lost four pounds.&nbsp; I wonder if that was real weight or water weight.&nbsp; I also wonder if it's an indicator that the pounds will finally start moving.&nbsp; Once I lay off the eggnog when the holidays are over, maybe they'll move faster.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwY4QXgwrak/TvygqVQB0eI/AAAAAAAAAfo/SIuTO_51feM/s1600/No+glasses+on+in+gym.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwY4QXgwrak/TvygqVQB0eI/AAAAAAAAAfo/SIuTO_51feM/s320/No+glasses+on+in+gym.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5499300597798604726?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-39710073977700299362011-12-22T00:46:00.000-06:002011-12-22T00:46:50.767-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpGvwGqvqZs/TvLOQCaVOAI/AAAAAAAAAdo/8a-fKRTjp2M/s1600/Lou+Costello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpGvwGqvqZs/TvLOQCaVOAI/AAAAAAAAAdo/8a-fKRTjp2M/s1600/Lou+Costello.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />You may be wondering why there is a photo of comedian Lou Costello on here.&nbsp; Believe it or not, Mr. Costello boxed for awhile before going into comedy. &nbsp; <br /><br /><br />Amy, Sarah and myself were waiting at the gym door when Alan arrived.&nbsp; Before he got there, Sarah said, "I hope he's not disappointed because only the three of us are here.&nbsp; We could just have the masters boxing women's class tonight!"&nbsp; As Alan unlocked the door, Sarah told him, "We're having the over 35 years of age women's boxing class today."&nbsp; "As far as I can see, all of you look good to me," Alan smiled.<br /><br />Initially, Sarah didn't want to spar.&nbsp; It looked like I was going to spar with Alan, who already said, "I'm going to get you!"&nbsp; He also said that I should go four rounds.&nbsp; "I'll push myself to do it," I said.&nbsp; "That's why I like you, Hillari.&nbsp; You never say no," Alan said.&nbsp; Then Sarah decided that she would spar, but we'd have to go light. Her and I were in the ring for four and a half rounds with.&nbsp; We went light, but it was still an aerobic workout.&nbsp; I was dancing around the ring more than I usually do.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xgziTGyP9EU/TvLPaSvjbRI/AAAAAAAAAd0/1Ykjtiav5aw/s1600/Martin+Lawrence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xgziTGyP9EU/TvLPaSvjbRI/AAAAAAAAAd0/1Ykjtiav5aw/s1600/Martin+Lawrence.jpg" /></a></div><br />&nbsp;Now you're asking, "Why is Martin Lawrence's picture on here?"&nbsp; Mr. Lawrence boxed when he was a teenager.&nbsp; He made a joke about it during one of his live concerts.&nbsp; I read somewhere that he was a Golden Gloves contender.&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp;Ray was the only other guy in the gym, and he arrived later.&nbsp; Ray and Alan had a good sparring session.&nbsp; Ray was throwing some wicked uppercuts that the caught the coach with several times.&nbsp; Then Alan tried to sneak in a right, and Ray quickly blocked it.&nbsp; Ray was in his Philly Shell stance.&nbsp; I named Alan's stance the Skokie Skate.&nbsp; "Coach is the shit!&nbsp; I love sparring with him!" Ray exclaimed in-between rounds. "That's what light sparring is supposed to be!" &nbsp; <br /><br />While I was watching Ray and Alan spar, there was a twinge in my back on the lower left side.&nbsp; Alan thought I had been hit there, but Sarah didn't do that.&nbsp; I didn't remember Alan hitting me there on Monday.&nbsp; The pain went away as quickly as it came.&nbsp; I figured it was another sign of middle-age-sliding-into-old-age.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMnJ5ijO5eM/TvLQcSGdUSI/AAAAAAAAAeA/K7349vm9tZw/s1600/Dean+Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMnJ5ijO5eM/TvLQcSGdUSI/AAAAAAAAAeA/K7349vm9tZw/s1600/Dean+Martin.jpg" /></a></div><br />"Come on now.&nbsp; What does Dean Martin have to do with boxing?" you might be asking.&nbsp; A few years ago, PBS ran a special about Martin's 1960's TV variety show.&nbsp; The guy who produced the variety show, Greg Garrison, pointed out that Martin had a certain way of holding his hands.&nbsp; Garrison explained it was a holdover from when Mr. Martin was a boxer.&nbsp; I looked it up, and sure enough, the singer had boxed for a time.&nbsp; There are a lot of entertainers who boxed, either as amateurs or professionals.&nbsp; Oh, here's one more guy:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWCADhgM1Fg/TvLR0Jh8FtI/AAAAAAAAAeM/izS0Cam36EA/s1600/robert+conrad+boxing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWCADhgM1Fg/TvLR0Jh8FtI/AAAAAAAAAeM/izS0Cam36EA/s320/robert+conrad+boxing.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Robert Conrad was the star of one of my favorite 1960s TV shows, "The Wild, Wild West".&nbsp; I watched it every week when I was a little girl.&nbsp; Conrad, who's from the south side of Chicago, had several matches before he became an actor.&nbsp; Word is that Conrad was a very tough fighter.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3971007397770029936?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-81965687932307035562011-12-19T23:51:00.000-06:002011-12-19T23:51:21.049-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZMNAI7fSdo/TvAX-Xy-KxI/AAAAAAAAAc8/kWu3UStjbVQ/s1600/Professor+vs+Ray+on+Monday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZMNAI7fSdo/TvAX-Xy-KxI/AAAAAAAAAc8/kWu3UStjbVQ/s320/Professor+vs+Ray+on+Monday.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A woman named Stephanie stopped by to talk to Alan.&nbsp; I figured that she knew something about boxing; it was just a feeling I had.&nbsp; Sure enough, I heard her tell Alan that she had taken up the sport at the Ultimate Fit Club in Evanston, which also houses the Evanston Boxing Club.&nbsp; She stayed around to observe the action for awhile before leaving.&nbsp; I hope that she plans to sign up for the winter session in January.<br /><br />Jacob had both of his thumbs wrapped up with tape.&nbsp; He said that the tape helped protect his thumbs, especially the one that was fractured.&nbsp; I might do that myself.&nbsp; My right thumb still hurts a little from when it connected with Kevin's head last week.<br /><br />Ray and Professor sparred several rounds, as seen in the photo above.&nbsp; Collette taped the action as she stood on the side of the ring.&nbsp; The two men had a good session, as they worked with each other as they traded punches.&nbsp; That's what sparring is supposed to be -- practice, as well as an exchange of information via movement.&nbsp;<br /><br />Paul, Alan's boss, said that he was still hurting somewhat from the last time he and Alan sparred.&nbsp; They went around again.&nbsp; Afterwards, Alan asked me, "It's true that Paul goes after me hard, right?"&nbsp; I told Paul, "You start out hard in the beginning, then Alan starts going hard."&nbsp; It's always true that even when everybody agrees to "go light", all it takes is for one person to throw a few hard punches.&nbsp; Then the other person feels they have to respond in kind.&nbsp; But it's not about people being angry because somebody put more force in (but sometimes, it is, depending on who's sparring). &nbsp; It's about keeping up with the pace of the other opponent.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HWxrDTGoIHk/TvAYFpzKqtI/AAAAAAAAAdE/cPTHWjtnLgY/s1600/Professor+and+Ray+get+it+on.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HWxrDTGoIHk/TvAYFpzKqtI/AAAAAAAAAdE/cPTHWjtnLgY/s320/Professor+and+Ray+get+it+on.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Alan kidded Renee about sparring to give me some work.&nbsp; Amy didn't want to spar, so I ended up in the ring with Alan.&nbsp; I threw overhand rights, even got him with some straight rights.&nbsp; But I kept getting crowded into the corners, and several times, I could neither punch or turn my way out of them.&nbsp; I tried to get shots to his mid-section, but Alan's long arms protected his torso well.&nbsp; Mine was wide open too many times.&nbsp; Alan hit me in the middle about three or four times.&nbsp; I went "Oof!" each time.&nbsp; "I got her!" Alan said each time he landed a shot there.&nbsp; I could hear some of the guys making comments.&nbsp; Ray said, "Good overhand", during one of the few times that I actually caught Alan with that particular punch. Reggie said, "Hillari, put Alan in a body bag!"&nbsp; <br /><br />Paul took pictures of the sparring.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDiaZaWKeJ0/TvAXpq2L8eI/AAAAAAAAAcs/gaFYeuUVLZM/s1600/A+50+year+old+vs+a+60+year+old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDiaZaWKeJ0/TvAXpq2L8eI/AAAAAAAAAcs/gaFYeuUVLZM/s320/A+50+year+old+vs+a+60+year+old.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />&nbsp;"Hillari, you were moving so fast, you were a blur!"&nbsp; Paul said.&nbsp; One of the pictures he took is above.&nbsp; I thought I was struggling and bumbling around at various points.&nbsp; "You did good work, and you hit hard" Alan told me.&nbsp; He noted that I always come at him harder during sparring than I do anyone else. After thinking about it, I had to admit that I do pound on Alan more than I do others during sparring.&nbsp; It's probably because, of all the guys in the gym -- with maybe the exception of Kenny -- Alan pushes me to do more when we are sparring.&nbsp; He doesn't let up, that's for sure.&nbsp; I have to remain focused or take some rough hits.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTxbhakX7lw/TvAX4XqDjAI/AAAAAAAAAc0/0nSCOHlA3k8/s1600/Hillari+and+Alan+face+off+in+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTxbhakX7lw/TvAX4XqDjAI/AAAAAAAAAc0/0nSCOHlA3k8/s320/Hillari+and+Alan+face+off+in+ring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />During the last round we sparred, Alan had me on the ropes.&nbsp; "I'm not hitting you that hard," he said, after I took another hit to the stomach.&nbsp; "Yes, you are," I gasped.&nbsp; "No, you just breathed in air as I threw the punch," Alan said, as I tried to move out of his reach. My nose took a hit, and I was stunned for a second.&nbsp; Another crack to my head rocked me on my feet, too, but I had to shake it off.&nbsp; The photo above is also courtesy of Paul.&nbsp; <br /><br />Alan thinks that I'm ready to do four rounds of sparring instead of the usual three.&nbsp; I want to try to do four rounds.&nbsp; There was a time I could do five rounds, but I wasn't as old or as heavy as I am now.&nbsp; I'll push myself to do an extra round.<br /><br />The coach joked that I don't seem to show much love to Pastor Roger on this blog.&nbsp; I'll have to re-read some of my posts. . .eh, I don't doubt that I have been hard on the pastor here sometimes (and on Facebook, etc., etc.).&nbsp; Believe me, I hear about it from Pastor Roger.&nbsp; The protest usually start with, "But Hillari, you've made a wrong assumption about me."&nbsp; The pastor met Steve, the former coach, a long time ago, but one day, I'll have to introduce him and Alan to each other in person.&nbsp; Pastor will probably ask Alan like he asked Steve a few years ago, "Is she any good in the ring?"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHd2tpnHCik/TupsL7TichI/AAAAAAAAAcM/V5m5kZRyIEc/s320/Hillari+in+sixth+grade.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>See the little girl in the photo above?&nbsp; That was me when I was in sixth grade.&nbsp; I was eleven when this picture was taken.&nbsp; Yeah, okay. . .it's a bad picture.&nbsp;Dig the modified Afro puffs (my mother pressed my hair out back then; she didn't allow my younger sister and I to have perms).&nbsp; I was not and have never been, a beauty pageant contestant.&nbsp; I know that.&nbsp; That school year was the only one I had during my entire grade school career where I wasn't involved in constant fist fights with other kids.&nbsp; Maybe it was because I had a tough but fair teacher, Mr. Marwick (God rest his soul).&nbsp; Maybe it was because I had a different attitude that school term or was hanging around kids who weren't picking on me all the time (which was the main reason why I fought in the first place).&nbsp; I'm not sure, but it was nice to have a breather from being punched and kicked every day.&nbsp; Of course, it was back to the business during the brief time I was in 7th grade (I got promoted to the next grade in December of that year), and the rest of my time in 8th grade.&nbsp; <br /><br />After a week of getting used to being 50 years old, I had to ask myself a question:&nbsp; What I am fighting about these days and who am I fighting?&nbsp; There are still bullies in my way.&nbsp; Prospective employers who look at my graying hair, ignore the accomplishments on my resume and decide I'm too old to be hired; smart-asses on the Internet who don't like my opinions, and verbally beat me down, often anonymously; and men who want to date me, but have a problem with me not being dumb enough for them to manipulate, are some of them.&nbsp; I still have to fight some people -- not always using my fists -- and continue to do so probably until the casket is closed on me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YaiIo-pzGk8/TupsXkpL_zI/AAAAAAAAAcc/2K37dhZ3Dlc/s1600/Without+Apology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YaiIo-pzGk8/TupsXkpL_zI/AAAAAAAAAcc/2K37dhZ3Dlc/s1600/Without+Apology.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />But in terms of boxing, why do I keep going to the gym, why do I keep sparring, and why am I eager to participate in bouts?<br /><br />Well, as far as exercise goes, it's not a matter of whether or not I feel like doing it anymore.&nbsp; It's come down to I have to exercise.&nbsp; There were a lot of things I got away with regarding my health before I turned 40 and was diagnosed with high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes practically back-to-back.&nbsp; I have family members who suffer with those conditions.&nbsp; Some are dead now because they didn't take their health concerns seriously.&nbsp; A friend of mine has diabetes, and they are on disability now because of it.&nbsp; Menopause has slipped into the mix for me, too, and that has its own set of problems.&nbsp; If exercise, as well as eating better will help put a few seconds extra on my clock, as well as make me feel better, I need to do it.&nbsp; I like boxing because it's not girly-girl aerobic-type exercise, which I never got into, not even way back in sixth grade.<br /><br />I believe boxing is a valuable skill for a woman, especially in a world where women and girls continue to be thought of as weak and gullible, and in some places in the world, disposable.&nbsp; I stopped growing when I was thirteen years old.&nbsp; At five foot one, I'm not exactly looked upon by most as a threat.&nbsp; Now I don't like going around being a b&amp;%$#, but there are times when I've had to do that.&nbsp; There may be times in the future where I will have to come hard, because somebody will think "she'll be an easy mark to take".&nbsp; It might be on a dark corner at night, or on a busy street in broad daylight.&nbsp; No, I can't move as fast as I used to do.&nbsp; But just because I'm old, that doesn't mean my hands (and feet) have lost the capacity to hurt an perp.&nbsp; I may not win, but I want the other person to at least feel the pain of messing with me.<br /><br />I like the thrill of being in the ring.&nbsp; That's not to say that it is not nerve-racking, even if I'm just sparring as opposed to having an actual fight.&nbsp; I'm still learning how to harness the nervousness into energy to use.&nbsp; I also like the feeling of having accomplished something, even if I took a bad loss.&nbsp; My only regret is not taking up the sport earlier.&nbsp; Maybe I could have been like Laila Ali.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ega9nNxy2ME/TupsdrYOB0I/AAAAAAAAAck/lsxShyL373A/s1600/Laila+Ali+dukes+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ega9nNxy2ME/TupsdrYOB0I/AAAAAAAAAck/lsxShyL373A/s1600/Laila+Ali+dukes+up.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Part of it also had to do with quieting the naysayers.&nbsp; I've chronicled in this blog many times over the years how people have tried to convince me that I should not box.&nbsp; When the admonishing started back in 2001, it was coming from only a few individuals.&nbsp; The only person whose comments I took seriously was that of my doctor's, and even then, I just made the necessary adjustments to keep going.&nbsp; Everybody else, I laughed their opinions off.&nbsp; But my group of protestors grew over the years.&nbsp; "<i>Oh, you're telling me that I shouldn't do something, that I can't do something, women shouldn't do this and that, that maybe I'm getting too old, etc.? Watch me,"</i> I thought as I dug my heels in further.&nbsp; The other day, I saw an old match featuring Archie Moore.&nbsp; He was well up into his 50s before he retired from competing.&nbsp; I have aches and pains, but I'm not decrepit.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8XfeifHEIO0/TupsSb5wncI/AAAAAAAAAcU/a3J__y83_rM/s1600/Archie+Moore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8XfeifHEIO0/TupsSb5wncI/AAAAAAAAAcU/a3J__y83_rM/s1600/Archie+Moore.jpg" /></a></div><br />Besides. . .I still want to fight. I was a good roller skater from the time I was fourteen up until I was in my late thirties.&nbsp; Then the closest roller rink to me shut down, and that, along with the arthritis that showed up a few years later, sort of closed the door on me doing that regularly.&nbsp; I love to ride my bike, but arthritis was also a factor as to why I didn't ride much this past summer.&nbsp; I was a fair ice skater.&nbsp; The last time I was on the ice was back in 2004; I scheduled an skating outing for the church's singles group.&nbsp; Only I and Pastor Roger were in attendance, and he didn't skate, but he watched me zipping around the rink.&nbsp; I haven't practiced martial arts much since 2001, and I was involved with that for only eight months of that year.&nbsp; I've loved a lot of sports activities, but my admiration and respect for boxing has continued to grow strong over the years.&nbsp; <br /><br />This is why I can't let it go.&nbsp; That day will come.&nbsp; It is going to come.&nbsp; One day, I will have to join the other old folks that sit along the walls in the boxing gyms and who bark out orders to young fighters.&nbsp; But not now.&nbsp; Continue to wring your hands and admonish me if you must, but that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7644576839262820212?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-56039358390227856202011-12-15T01:10:00.000-06:002011-12-15T01:10:51.121-06:00"Everybody seems kind of down," Amy commented as she looked at Alan, Professor, and Professor's fiancee, Kelly.&nbsp; "I'm tired," Alan said, after admitting to have eaten a large pizza by himself.&nbsp; We were really waiting for Kevin to arrive, so the show between Professor and him could begin. Those two planned to spar after they had a disagreement on Monday.&nbsp;<br /><br />When Kevin arrived, he had headgear that was designed to fully cover the face.&nbsp; It reminded me of a hockey mask.&nbsp; "Is that what you're going to use?" Professor asked him.&nbsp; "Yeah.&nbsp; You disapprove?"&nbsp; Kevin sneered.&nbsp; Professor made a comment about it not being proper headgear to use.&nbsp; Kevin snapped that he needed to wear it to protect his broken nose, and another spat took place. &nbsp; Ever the gentleman, Alan told both men, "Watch your language; there are women in here.&nbsp; Just chill."&nbsp;<br /><br />After some more bickering, Professor and Kevin stepped into the ring.&nbsp; "Get your camera," Alan told me.&nbsp; "I almost forgot," I said, as I scooted to my locker to get it.&nbsp; But before I could take any pictures, the sparring session ended.&nbsp; Kevin had leaned into the ropes and settled there.&nbsp; Professor could have took advantage of the situation, but he thought better of it.&nbsp; "If he's not going to hit back, there's no use in us sparring.&nbsp; It's not competitive enough," Professor said.&nbsp; This set Kevin off, who snatched his gloves and headgear off in anger.&nbsp; He yelled at Professor, "If you're going to quit now, you'll quit again.&nbsp; F&amp;%$ it!"&nbsp; Professor decided not to respond to Kevin's comments.&nbsp; <br /><br />Jacob came in right after that exchange, and Professor was glad to see him.&nbsp; "Here's my guy," Professor smiled.&nbsp; They sparred instead.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwkQq7xsVEE/TumXWfERTSI/AAAAAAAAAbc/JRyAvALCBII/s1600/Jacob+prepares+for+Professor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwkQq7xsVEE/TumXWfERTSI/AAAAAAAAAbc/JRyAvALCBII/s320/Jacob+prepares+for+Professor.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Alan put me in with Kevin.&nbsp; We did two rounds.&nbsp; Kevin was answering punches, but he wasn't throwing hard ones.&nbsp; He didn't lean on the ropes at all, either, basically keeping me near the center of the ring and near the corners.&nbsp; Kevin encouraged me to hit him.&nbsp; I didn't want to target his face because of his nose.&nbsp; I had visions of me accidentally causing even worse injury.&nbsp; For the most part, Kevin was wide open.&nbsp; I got in uppercuts, and numerous shots to the body.&nbsp; Each time I hit him in in the sides and stomach, he went, "Oof!" very loudly.&nbsp; "Beautiful!" Alan commented from the side.<br /><br />I landed a good number of hooks, too.&nbsp; Kevin had his head way down, so it was easy to get them in.&nbsp; But I executed one of my right hooks wrong.&nbsp; My thumb bumped up against his head, and Kevin has a very hard head.&nbsp; My thumb is still hurting as I type this. Pastor just told me back on Monday to try and not hurt anybody when I joked about going to the gym and showing everyone "what a 50 year old can do". Maybe I'll be the third person in the gym -- behind Jacob and Ray -- with a thumb injury.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ML0B3xc9fR4/TumXk59TM3I/AAAAAAAAAb8/UJqNBV78aZw/s1600/Professor+blocks+as+fiancee+steps+in.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ML0B3xc9fR4/TumXk59TM3I/AAAAAAAAAb8/UJqNBV78aZw/s320/Professor+blocks+as+fiancee+steps+in.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Professor and Kelly engaged in some boxing drills in the ring.&nbsp; I didn't get a shot of them kissing at the end.&nbsp; Ray laughed as he asked Alan, "Is that what happens at the end of rounds?&nbsp; Should I expect to get some sugar from a woman, too?"&nbsp; Alan shook his head, "No, not then. Not in boxing!"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5603935839022785620?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-90937203244166872882011-12-13T00:04:00.000-06:002011-12-13T00:04:40.337-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q30QbkgQmYA/Tubia9QmmjI/AAAAAAAAAbE/xCw76wQYeAM/s1600/Ryan%252C+Professor%252C+Gilbert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q30QbkgQmYA/Tubia9QmmjI/AAAAAAAAAbE/xCw76wQYeAM/s320/Ryan%252C+Professor%252C+Gilbert.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ryan (in the headgear) and Gilbert (on the right) came in for a little sparring Monday evening.&nbsp; Professor (in the middle) gave the young men some instruction.&nbsp; He has a pair of my punch mitts on.&nbsp; Professor was showing Ryan how to punch and pivot, and Gilbert jumped in the ring to help show how the technique is done.<br /><br />I was a real witch (change the first letter to a 'b') to Igor today.&nbsp; He started in with his usual repeating questions over and over.&nbsp; Igor must have asked me four times how I was doing.&nbsp; "The answer is still the same as it was before, Igor--fine," I snapped.&nbsp; I came back from filling the water bottles up, and for the umpteenth time, he's walking behind me going, "Excuse me, excuse me."&nbsp; "What is it?" I hissed.&nbsp; "Water, water," he says. "It's over there," I replied in frustration.&nbsp; <i>This is why Steve stayed irritated with him all the time,</i> I thought.&nbsp; I wanted to really tell Igor off, and it took a Herculean effort on my part to bite my tongue.&nbsp; Alan grinned at me and said, "Your tolerance is low today."&nbsp; "My father's temper is coming out in me," I said.&nbsp; <br /><br />Ray learned that his thumb had been fractured.&nbsp; "It would have healed up earlier, but I kept re-injuring it," he told me.&nbsp; Jacob's thumb is still on the mend, but he said he felt some twinges of pain while sparring with Kevin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqQ6SlsKPP0/TubiXqu1xkI/AAAAAAAAAa8/TSRbo6FjkLY/s1600/Professor+instructs+Ryan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqQ6SlsKPP0/TubiXqu1xkI/AAAAAAAAAa8/TSRbo6FjkLY/s320/Professor+instructs+Ryan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />As reported here many times, Kevin spent most of the sparring session laying on the ropes.&nbsp; He told Alan, "I'm waiting for him (Jacob) to punch himself out."&nbsp; Alan turned away from the ropes, and looked at me, shaking his head.&nbsp; "He doesn't listen," Alan said.&nbsp; Professor sat off to the other side of the ring, watching Jacob and Kevin carefully.&nbsp; "Please don't stay in the corner," he told Kevin. Kevin came back with, "Keep quiet!&nbsp; If you want to do this, step into the ring.&nbsp; I don't need mouth from the peanut gallery."&nbsp; "Oh, wow," Professor said.<br /><br />I would have sparred tonight, but I did something that I've not done before in nine years of going to Loyola:&nbsp; I left my mouthpiece at home.&nbsp; It was still in the other bag that I brought with me to Brooks Park last week.&nbsp; My only sparring option would have been Alan, or maybe Jacob.&nbsp; Amy and Renee were there, but they weren't going to spar.&nbsp; I was on the black heavy bag for awhile, and I felt good about my punches.&nbsp; Where is that confidence when I'm in an actual fight, or during sparring for that manner?&nbsp; I bet that I won't be as fresh on Wednesday if I get a chance to spar.&nbsp; <br /><br />Later, Professor and Alan asked me when the winter session begins.&nbsp; "So this is the no man's land period?&nbsp; I can come in on Wednesday and kick his ass?" Professor said, pointing to Kevin.&nbsp; Before Kevin left near the end of the night, he promised Professor that he would be in the gym on Wednesday.&nbsp; "I'll be here, too," Professor gleefully told him.&nbsp; "Yeah, bring your mouth, too," Kevin shot back.&nbsp; <i>Have mercy,</i> I thought to myself.&nbsp; I've heard of guys in gyms having beefs with each other and settling their differences when they came in the next time.&nbsp; Alan may have to jump in and do some hard regulating if Kevin and Professor have a really rough meeting.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MSrapaYlFpg/TubqX_F1CuI/AAAAAAAAAbM/6flUddftgNg/s1600/Paul+gets+in+a+hit+on+Alan+as+a+joke.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MSrapaYlFpg/TubqX_F1CuI/AAAAAAAAAbM/6flUddftgNg/s320/Paul+gets+in+a+hit+on+Alan+as+a+joke.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It may look like Paul really clocked Alan here, but this is a gag shot that the men asked me to take.&nbsp; They did spar earlier in the evening, but did not go the distance.&nbsp; Paul was throwing a lot of punches and got burned out quickly.&nbsp; He's getting better at keeping his hands up, however.&nbsp; <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-9093720324416687288?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-6284382647737330042011-12-11T14:21:00.001-06:002011-12-12T18:44:57.254-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/Ev7_ZrusJ68/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ev7_ZrusJ68&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ev7_ZrusJ68&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />Another friend in the boxing world, Lisa Creech Bledsoe, who runs a blog called The Glowing Edge, posted the fight above on her blog and commented on it.&nbsp; This was a fight between Holly Holm and Anne Sophie Mathis.&nbsp; I agreed with Lisa's assessment of how badly this bout was handled by Holm's corner as well as the referee.<br /><br />Francisco Rodriguez died in the ring around Thanksgiving in 2009, and the month before, Rita Figueroa suffered a near-fatal hit during a match.&nbsp; Both of those professional fights happened near the tail end of the Chicago Park District's amateur boxing tournament season.&nbsp; I remember a lot of fights I saw after that were stopped at the first hint of a boxer being in trouble.&nbsp; I was in a fight with Meg in December of that year that was stopped because I was taking too many hits.&nbsp; People complain about fights being stopped all the time, as the one between Holm and Mathis was, eventually.&nbsp; Blood lust gets the best of some spectators, and they just want to see someone stomped down.<br /><br />I like to see a good beat down as much as the next person.&nbsp; I cheer on the antics of professional wrestlers, despite the fact that the outcomes of all those type of matches were planned long before the wrestlers came into the ring (but pro wrestlers can and do get hurt for real sometimes. . .some have even died due to injuries).&nbsp; When my siblings and I were kids, we'd fall out laughing at the fisticuffs between roller derby players, some of which were fake, and some of which were real.&nbsp; I appreciate the moves I see in MMA.&nbsp; I only pay attention to mainstream sports when I've heard that a brawl broke out on the playing field.&nbsp; <br /><br />However, I'd rather see a boxer walk out of the ring after a match than be carried out.&nbsp; I usually don't bat an eye at the brutality in some matches, but the Holm/Mathis had me wincing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/NMo-L-bGiDg/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NMo-L-bGiDg&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NMo-L-bGiDg&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />As I watched the post-fight interview, I felt bad for Holm.&nbsp; I even got -- and this is something I seldom admit to, folks -- teary-eyed.&nbsp; I know the feeling of being on the losing end of a match, feeling embarrassed, frustrated, and angry about "Damn, I wish I could have done better!", while still trying to exhibit good sportsmanship.&nbsp; I know we should all be adults about losing, but I sometimes go back to being that little girl on the schoolyard who just took a beating from two or more kids (which I did on a near daily basis back in grade school).&nbsp; The ref and/or Holm's corner should have never let that fight go on that long.&nbsp; Holm shouldn't have had to be knocked through the ropes and her cheek cut open before people finally woke up and decided enough was enough.&nbsp; She could have been seriously, maybe even permanently hurt.&nbsp; I give Mathis credit for not gloating over Holm's prone position in the ring.&nbsp; <br /><br />Boxing is a rough sport, but common sense among officials and corner people should never disappear once the bell to start the round begins.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-628438264773733004?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-9405021555979388132011-12-07T22:29:00.000-06:002011-12-07T22:29:41.880-06:00Alan told me when I called him earlier, "You can bring your gear down to Brooks Park."&nbsp; "But you told me there were no opponents for me," I said.&nbsp; "Well, you never know.&nbsp; But it's up to you," he answered.&nbsp; Both of my knees had been hurting all day, my lower back had twinges of pain here and there, and my left shoulder was a bit stiff.&nbsp; But I exhibited the natural hard-headed tendencies I inherited from my late dad, and I packed a bag with my gear.&nbsp; All the while, the rational side of my brain was snapping, <i>"Girl, please!&nbsp; Where is your mind?"</i><br /><br />I took two buses to get up to Brooks Park.&nbsp; When I got there, Kevin was upstairs, ready to go, shadow boxing in preparation.&nbsp; Willie and Nate Sr. had some of the kids with them: Gilbert, Tall Kenny, Nate Jr., and Eric.&nbsp; Unfortunately, Barry had another engagement, so he couldn't come down with the kids.&nbsp; Soon, Reggie came in, and he was ready to fight as well.&nbsp; "I'm nervous," he said.&nbsp; "Use that energy in the ring," I told him.<br /><br />While picking out familiar faces in the crowd (Shifty, Jack, Sean, Gary),&nbsp; I spotted Meg.&nbsp;<i> "Oh, snap,"</i> I thought, and reality knocked me upside my head.&nbsp; Our guys were called in to weigh-in, and I went in the room because Alan hadn't arrived yet.&nbsp; I wanted to make sure they all got in.&nbsp; Pat, one of the Park District coaches, politely asked me to step out of the room during the weigh-ins.&nbsp; "Because they're stripping, y'know?" he said.&nbsp; Outside the room, I chuckled to myself, and thought, <i>"Like a woman as old as I hasn't seen that before."&nbsp;</i> I was going to weigh-in, but after I saw Meg and took stock of my creaky body, a small, still voice said to me,<i> "Don't do it,"</i> and I didn't.&nbsp; Alan was glad when I told him of my decision later.&nbsp;<br /><br />Meg fought a woman named Maggie in the 145 pound division.&nbsp; Alan told me, "Meg's opponent is 15 pounds lighter and she's 21 years old."&nbsp; Maggie caught Meg up against the ropes during the second round, something that I was never able to do during the three times Meg and I fought.&nbsp; I commented on that to Alan.&nbsp; "The fights you had with her were close," he said.&nbsp; Meg lost, and I was surprised because she's pretty tough. &nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Tall Kenny used his long arms and legs to keep his opponent off of him to get a win, but Gilbert was overwhelmed too many times by his, so he took home the second place trophy.&nbsp; None of the other young men got fights.<br /><br />Reggie's opponent, Chris, was about the same build as he.&nbsp; Reggie was rocking the guy with shots, and one of those shots put Chris on the canvas.&nbsp; Chris recovered to continue, but Reggie remained dominant.&nbsp; I was acting a fool on the side, yelling, "That's right.&nbsp; Get him!&nbsp; All day!"&nbsp; <br /><br />Kevin did not get a fight.&nbsp; "I know you would have fought him.&nbsp; But the guy they had was too tall for you, about 6 foot 2," Alan explained to him.&nbsp; Honestly, I was a little glad that Kevin didn't get a match.&nbsp; Kevin's nose is broken, and still in the process of healing.&nbsp; He told me he's been having trouble breathing, and that he hasn't seen a doctor yet.&nbsp; "It might also be a deviated septum," I told him, thinking about when I had mine fixed a few years ago.&nbsp; I still don't know how my nose was injured in the first place.&nbsp; It could have been that time I was three years old and was dashed to the sidewalk after I fell out of a baby swing.&nbsp; Who knows.<br /><br />Tomorrow is my birthday, and no, I still haven't made a decision about whether or not to continue competing.&nbsp; My glee as I packed a gear bag before I went up to Brooks tonight is a sure sign that I ain't ready to let that go yet.&nbsp; Right now, I think a) my body will have to give me a clear message, like one of my wobbly knees popping out of place or b) I'll have to take a real bad beat down to stop competing.&nbsp; As I've said before, we boxers can be a stubborn, crazy lot of folks.&nbsp; Just ask Evander Holyfield or Roy Jones Jr.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-940502155597938813?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-78111082426805868332011-12-06T11:19:00.000-06:002011-12-06T11:19:13.154-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDhTXv0D9xo/Tt5I9yw40hI/AAAAAAAAAak/2arvbrNLtS0/s1600/Kevin+and+Alan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDhTXv0D9xo/Tt5I9yw40hI/AAAAAAAAAak/2arvbrNLtS0/s320/Kevin+and+Alan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I had noticed last week that the floor under the 150 pound bag was slippery.&nbsp; Last night, there was a good amount of sand on the floor.&nbsp; Alan and I searched the bag looking for holes.&nbsp; Finally, we found two where the sand was leaking from.&nbsp; We got duct tape and patched them up.&nbsp; I found a broom and dustbin to get the sand up.&nbsp; Alan said, "I didn't know you were that domesticated," as he watched me sweep.&nbsp; "I'm not, but we can't have anyone slipping," I said.<br /><br />Jamil came in and sparred with Reggie.&nbsp; Jamil was thrown into the ropes at one point, but he quickly recovered.&nbsp; Kevin sparred as well.&nbsp; He told Alan that his nose was better, but I wondered.&nbsp; Kevin was hanging on the ropes again, and again, I heard Alan tell him that he will not be able to do that during an actual fight.&nbsp; <br /><br />It took me a long time to become focused last night.&nbsp; During the last fifteen to twenty minutes of gym time, I finally mustered up some energy.&nbsp; Too many things on my mind, I guess. . . .yesterday was my mother's 79th birthday, and of course, she made no effort to reach out to me, the only one of her four kids who is still living.&nbsp; It's a long, long story that doesn't really fit the scope of this blog.&nbsp; Let's just say that Ma and I have not been fans of one another for a few decades.&nbsp; I was also still a little ticked about some kid at church who nearly knocked me down because they were goofing off after services.&nbsp; No apology was made to me; "I'm sorry" doesn't seem to be a phrase that's taught to kids at home these days.&nbsp; Instead, I got "it wasn't my fault" when I complained.&nbsp; The kid had also dropped a plate on the floor.&nbsp; "Just get the food up off the floor," I snapped.&nbsp; Of course, Pastor Roger defended the kid when I grumbled about it, but I wasn't in the mood for more excuses.&nbsp; "That kid was lucky&nbsp;I didn't hit him," I told Pastor.<br /><br />Anothet thing I was not in the mood for was Igor bugging me about when he was going to get the pictures I took of him.&nbsp; "When I get the money to process them, and that won't be anytime soon," I said curtly before walking away.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's not so much the money, because it doesn't cost that much to get it done at the drug store.&nbsp; It is the time, as more often than not, something's usually wrong with the self-service film processors when I get to the store.&nbsp; Besides, I'm still a little salty about how Igor pestered and demanded me to take several pictures of him.&nbsp; That won't happen again, believe me.&nbsp; Social grace is not something that Igor posseses, which is one of the reasons why Steve, the former coach, stayed irritated with Igor.&nbsp; <br /><br />So far, Reggie is only boxer in the gym whom Alan and I are reasonably sure will have a fight at Brooks Park on Wednesday.&nbsp; Oscar said he wanted to fight, but he hasn't been in the gym lately.&nbsp; Kenny hasn't been in much because of work.&nbsp; Ray wants to fight, but work keeps him tied up a lot, too.&nbsp; Jacob can't because his thumb is still healing.&nbsp; I don't have an opponent, which is just as well, because frankly, I'm not prepared to fight at this time.&nbsp; <br /><br />While Alan drove me home, he called Colonel on his cell phone.&nbsp; We had a chance to talk to him.&nbsp; The poor guy is still in a lot of pain following his hip replacement surgery, but he was still able to crack jokes.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7811108242680586833?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-1526664961505474232011-12-02T10:53:00.000-06:002011-12-02T10:53:43.731-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bLNv64_qUwc/TthDTHeTv_I/AAAAAAAAAaE/5prE6f-MtDA/s1600/PICT1318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bLNv64_qUwc/TthDTHeTv_I/AAAAAAAAAaE/5prE6f-MtDA/s320/PICT1318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Oscar and I sparred, and at one point, Oscar was encouraging me to come at him.&nbsp; I missed most of the hooks I threw, but I did get several body shots in.&nbsp; We actually did three rounds and a half;&nbsp; we started in the middle of a round, then Alan reset the bell so we'd start again from the beginning.&nbsp; Oscar hit me in the mouth, which made me very happy that I a) remembered to keep my mouth clothes, and b) there are such things as mouthpieces.&nbsp; In the middle of the second round, the thought<i> "what in the hell am I doing?"</i> went through my head.&nbsp; I was dead tired when the rounds were over.&nbsp; I've been slacking off on exercise outside of the gym, and it showed.<br /><br />Ray told Reggie the same thing in-between the rounds of sparring they had.&nbsp; "You've got to run more, man.&nbsp; That's why the wind is gone," he said.&nbsp; Both men were crouched down next to the ropes catching their breaths.&nbsp; The two of them are young enough to go running.&nbsp; My knees won't allow me to run for the buses, let alone run for exercise.&nbsp; It bothers me that I can't run as well as used to do.<br /><br />Colonel brought in his collection of dusties again, along with Leon's iPod.&nbsp; Leon had asked Colonel to put some songs on it, but the big man didn't come in Wednesday night.&nbsp; Colonel gave me the iPod to hold on to, because Colonel was going in for hip replacement surgery the next day.&nbsp; I took it home because I didn't feel sure about leaving it in my locker.&nbsp; Colonel was shaking his head at all the rap Leon already had on the iPod; so was I when I listened to the device later that evening.&nbsp; It was all Li'l Wayne, Kanye, and a bunch of other current rappers whose talent is questionable.&nbsp; Colonel did good by putting a lot of old school stuff on there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztAliO9yhgk/TthDVj-H5qI/AAAAAAAAAaM/HDgzh9YQUHw/s1600/PICT1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztAliO9yhgk/TthDVj-H5qI/AAAAAAAAAaM/HDgzh9YQUHw/s320/PICT1319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ray brought Colette in with him.&nbsp; While sparring with Jacob (whose thumb is still hurting, too), Ray bumped his thumb again.&nbsp; Both Colette and I went, "Ooh!" as Ray's hand connected with Jacob.&nbsp; He had to stop for a moment.&nbsp; "That really hurts," he said to Collete and I. Amazing how something so small can cause so much pain when it's injured.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XwA81G6LRwU/TthDZN8fn4I/AAAAAAAAAaU/TKDC1jPaIqw/s1600/PICT1320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XwA81G6LRwU/TthDZN8fn4I/AAAAAAAAAaU/TKDC1jPaIqw/s320/PICT1320.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I can apply for AARP next week," I told Ray.&nbsp; He gave me a quizzical look.&nbsp; "No, seriously. . .as of my birthday next Thursday, I'll be eligible to be a member of AARP," I continued.&nbsp; Ray and Reggie gave me high fives, and Jacob nodded in approval.&nbsp; "For real?&nbsp; Damn. . .and you're always in the ring for three rounds with people?&nbsp; Wow, that just made me feel real old," he said.&nbsp; Ray is in his late 30's; Reggie is about 27 years old.&nbsp; Ray said to the coach, "So, Alan, you're about 50, right?"&nbsp; Alan grinned and said, "Bless you."</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-152666496150547423?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-9310807943545314132011-11-29T01:01:00.000-06:002011-11-29T01:01:06.691-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1SPK1oe1jk/TtR2BY5BY_I/AAAAAAAAAZs/C9VNLenqpug/s1600/Kenny+takes+on+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1SPK1oe1jk/TtR2BY5BY_I/AAAAAAAAAZs/C9VNLenqpug/s320/Kenny+takes+on+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Tall Kenny (pictured above) came in for extra practice.&nbsp; He's fighting at Brooks Park next week.&nbsp; I wanted to fight, but there was no opponent for me.&nbsp; Later, Alan said he had forgotten to put a bid in for me to get a fight.&nbsp; "You've got to grab and let me know that you want to fight," he said.&nbsp; "There'll be a next time," I said, but I wonder.&nbsp; It was suggested by my stepmother that the fight I had in October should have been my last one.&nbsp; She pointed out how I was breathing hard and ran out of gas then.&nbsp; I'm thinking that perhaps she's right, but then, I was looking forward to trying to get a trophy at Brooks.&nbsp; It would have been a nice birthday present (my birthday is the day after the Brooks show).&nbsp; If there is a last hurrah for me, it'll be a long time coming, since I'm usually not able to pick up fights until around the holidays, so my last, last fight may not be until late 2012.&nbsp; I keep going back and forth with this, I know.<br /><br />Activity in the gym was pumped up tonight.&nbsp; Colonel brought more of his old school music in, and this time, he brought a great sounding boombox with him, the type that you plug an iPod into.&nbsp; Leon was impressed so much by the music that he asked Colonel to download the songs on his iPod.&nbsp; In between rounds of practice, I was stepping to a lot of the tunes.&nbsp; Ray came in, heard the music and said, "Colonel got the dusties on?"&nbsp; Colonel told me he had about 70 to 80 songs on there, but more were at home.&nbsp; But he didn't want to download much of what his son had.&nbsp; "My son likes all that rap, and I don't understand that.&nbsp; Why is it that every MF on the stage in a rap concert has a microphone?&nbsp; Back in the day there were only two mics -- one for the lead singer and one for the rest of the group!" he said.&nbsp; "Like The Temptations, for example," I said while imitating the moves of David Ruffin on one mic, and of the other group members on the other mic.&nbsp; "You are telling your age!" Colonel laughed.&nbsp; "I'm Your Puppet" by James and Bobby Purify was one of the songs that came on.&nbsp; As many times as I've heard that song -- I believe I was five or six when it was first released -- it never occurred to me that it's a good song to which to step.&nbsp; Each time Reggie would catch me dancing, he'd laugh.&nbsp; "Hillari, teach me how to step!" he said, so I showed him the basic six count that was taught to me by Willie.&nbsp; <br /><br />The sparring action involved Reggie, Ray, Oscar, Leon, and Kevin.&nbsp; Something happened between Kevin and Oscar while my back was turned.&nbsp; Oscar was laying on the canvas, then he sat up and took his gear off.&nbsp; Several of us gathered around the ropes to see what was going on.&nbsp; From what I gathered, Kevin had been pressuring Oscar the whole round, then Oscar ended up being pushed down.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_xLfcVb1M0/TtR2E3IwBFI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/ZfLEl9EcXfA/s1600/Kevin+waits+on+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_xLfcVb1M0/TtR2E3IwBFI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/ZfLEl9EcXfA/s320/Kevin+waits+on+Ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In the photo above, Kevin leans against the ropes, waiting on Ray to make a move.&nbsp; Alan told him awhile later, "Kevin you've got to listen to me when you're in there."&nbsp; Kevin's nose had been injured; I'm not sure by whom.&nbsp; Alan suggested that he not spar for a couple of weeks.&nbsp; "I'm 37 years old.&nbsp; The clock is ticking," Kevin said, explaining why he didn't want to beg off of sparring.&nbsp; "It doesn't matter.&nbsp; What is two weeks to wait?" Alan told him.&nbsp; I believe Kevin would have loved to get a fight at Brooks, but in light of his injury, that wouldn't be a good idea.&nbsp; <br /><br />Again, I was working on throwing my right correctly.&nbsp; Ever since I was hit by a car back last winter, I've had an aversion to turning my right side into the punch and putting my full weight into it.&nbsp; Several months ago, I couldn't turn properly because my left knee -- which took the brunt of the hit -- was so painful and unstable that I couldn't do it.&nbsp; Now that it's healed (as much as it's going to be healed), I've developed a bad habit of not executing that punch the way it's supposed to be.&nbsp; I'll be working on that for awhile.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4URRxWJSR8A/TtR19iFv2_I/AAAAAAAAAZk/YeCe2362ZCI/s1600/Jacob+on+the+teardrop+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4URRxWJSR8A/TtR19iFv2_I/AAAAAAAAAZk/YeCe2362ZCI/s320/Jacob+on+the+teardrop+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I told Pastor Roger that I might get Isaac another toy, one of those inflatable punching toys that one hits and it pops right back up.&nbsp; My younger siblings and I had several of those when we were kids.&nbsp; "It'll be good practice for boxing," I told the pastor.&nbsp; "I don't want my son to learn violence," he said.&nbsp; "But boxing is a gentlemanly sport," I protested.&nbsp; Pastor smiled and said, "You can use the argument that boxing is mentioned in the Bible to convince my wife that it would be good thing for Isaac to take lessons."&nbsp; It certainly sounds as if shadow boxing is being referenced in 1 Corinthians 9:26.&nbsp; After all, the sport did originate in Greece, which is one of the countries referenced in the Good Book.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSuzerwYcx4/TtR16E9AnWI/AAAAAAAAAZc/D90x0Hh8_ZY/s1600/Alan+and+Leon+watch+Reggie+and+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSuzerwYcx4/TtR16E9AnWI/AAAAAAAAAZc/D90x0Hh8_ZY/s320/Alan+and+Leon+watch+Reggie+and+Ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-931080794354531413?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-19854168257523166732011-11-24T01:06:00.000-06:002011-11-24T01:06:46.389-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bouhgZqaJ3M/Ts3oABZ0yFI/AAAAAAAAAZM/JovOLFeOwRY/s1600/Colonel+in+the+mirror.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bouhgZqaJ3M/Ts3oABZ0yFI/AAAAAAAAAZM/JovOLFeOwRY/s320/Colonel+in+the+mirror.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was the day before Thanksgiving, and most were out because they started their festivities early.&nbsp; None of the other women were there, so I was it in terms of representing the female component.<br /><br />Colonel (in the photo above) came in with several of his CDs.&nbsp; He had been threatening to bring in some oldies for weeks, and he brought in some good ones.&nbsp; The greatest hits of Rare Earth, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, and Sly and the Family Stone were played.&nbsp; Alan said to me, "I like this music better than what is usually played."&nbsp; Nate Jr. and Tall Kenny came to the gym to work out, and they had initially cut on the radio which is perpetually stuck on the hip-hop/dance/house music channel.&nbsp; Colonel's old school stuff was a welcome change from that.<br /><br />Ralphie came in later.&nbsp; Alan had been hoping that Ralphie would come in earlier to spar with Reggie.&nbsp; Instead, Reggie sparred with Kevin.&nbsp; Kevin did not hang back on the ropes as much, but he was talking about how hard Reggie hits. &nbsp; <br /><br />I was on the bags, then shadowboxing a lot on the ring.&nbsp; I think that I don't throw my right hand as nearly as much as I throw my jab.&nbsp; I concentrated on my right hand and executing hooks and upper cuts.&nbsp; Colonel showed me how to bend my knees a little then come up as I throw uppercuts to put a little more force behind them.<br /><br />Two Chicago cops came in to observe what was going on.&nbsp; One cop had been in there before, but his partner looked new to me.&nbsp; Colonel and Alan always engage the cops in conversations when they come in.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iitw5HP8C08/Ts3oDu8cHXI/AAAAAAAAAZU/s8Gh4FJGO38/s1600/Kevin+helps+Nate+Jr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iitw5HP8C08/Ts3oDu8cHXI/AAAAAAAAAZU/s8Gh4FJGO38/s320/Kevin+helps+Nate+Jr.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In this photo, Kevin helps Nate Jr. put on his gloves (Alan, who's in the background, is shadowboxing in the ring)..&nbsp; Tall Kenny and Nate Jr. could have sparred, but they said that Barry would rather they not do that unless he's there to monitor it.&nbsp; I've always known Tall Kenny to tower over me, but I remember when Nate Jr. barely reached my shoulder.&nbsp; Now I have to look up to him.&nbsp; <br /><br />I've been skipping Tuesdays on my exercise schedule; this week was no exception.&nbsp; I have to make up that day tomorrow, so I guess whenever I get up, I'll pop a DVD in and do a quick workout.&nbsp; Hopefully, it'll counteract the pounds I'm sure to gain.&nbsp; My stepmother is a good cook, and I'll be having dinner with her sometime later.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1985416825752316673?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-88743074224902173232011-11-22T01:02:00.000-06:002011-11-22T01:02:51.173-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6QNFX-_nF-o/TstBbK-g4aI/AAAAAAAAAZE/mQel5dgTbeY/s1600/Jacob+attacks+the+heavy+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6QNFX-_nF-o/TstBbK-g4aI/AAAAAAAAAZE/mQel5dgTbeY/s320/Jacob+attacks+the+heavy+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When I first walked into the field house, I turned back to see Alan walking behind me.&nbsp; "I heard a rumor," he smiled.&nbsp; "What's that?" I asked.&nbsp; "That Hillari is Jewish," he said, and we both chuckled.&nbsp; Alan and I had gone to a service at a synagogue this past Saturday.&nbsp; I had been to weddings in synagogues, but I had never been to one for a regular service, so Alan offered to take me to a service.&nbsp; The service was held at a Reform synagogue, not the one where Alan normally goes.&nbsp; He thought taking me to an Orthodox service right off the bat might have been too much for an introduction to a Jewish religious service.&nbsp; I was surprised when I walked into the room and saw a neighbor of mine there.&nbsp; She had told me she was Jewish, but she did not mention where she went to worship.&nbsp; It was an interesting service, with the rabbi encouraging discussion about passages from Genesis 23, where Abraham buys a burial spot for his wife Sarah, who had recently passed away. After that service, which was held upstairs, Alan showed me the sanctuary that was on the first floor.&nbsp; It was really nice looking.&nbsp; There was a bar mitzvah service going on, and the place was filled with children.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp; <br />Leon came in tonight, and he ended up sparring with Kenny.&nbsp; Not Kenny, Colonel's son, but Kenny who's in high school and who trains with Barry.&nbsp; I hadn't seen Kenny for awhile.&nbsp; He's become even taller than the last time I saw him.&nbsp; I prayed that Leon wouldn't hurt Kenny, and he didn't.&nbsp; They had a couple of rounds before Leon was tired out.<br /><br />Kevin sparred with Oscar.&nbsp; Kevin's not bad -- he just has to break the habits of a) keeping his hands down, b) crouching next to the ropes and waiting on his opponent to throw punches, and c) watching the time clock.&nbsp; Oscar starts off slow, but when he gets going, he's gone.&nbsp; Oscar got Kevin in the face several times.&nbsp; "He really hits hard," Kevin commented afterwards.&nbsp; Oscar was hunting Kevin down all over the ring.<br /><br />Sarah and I sparred, but we agreed to go light.&nbsp; However, there was one uppercut that shook my upper teeth.&nbsp; Good thing my mouth was closed, and I was wearing a mouthpiece.&nbsp; I was surprised that I wasn't exhausted at the end of the second round, but my energy was spent by the middle of the third round.&nbsp; My chin was down like it was supposed to be, and for once, I kept my eyes on my opponent instead of closing my eyes and dropping my head.&nbsp; Alan kept telling me to work my way in with the jab, and I did to decent effect.&nbsp; But my throwing hooks wasn't effective at all.&nbsp; Sarah's too tall, and I didn't time any of the hooks properly.&nbsp; I went back to throwing jabs and hooks to the body, but not putting full force behind them.&nbsp;<br /><br />Leon said that he had recently been in a motorcycle accident.&nbsp; His wrist was fractured when his bike flipped over.&nbsp; Luckily for him, the accident wasn't worse than that.&nbsp; "There's been a lot of hand injuries going on lately," I told him, thinking about Ray and Jacob's thumbs. &nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8874307422490217323?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-80652281886953673452011-11-17T00:22:00.000-06:002011-11-17T00:22:11.585-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FVZBgJUjmnk/TsSe5iUTI9I/AAAAAAAAAY0/3qfYKKvri_A/s1600/A+new+speed+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FVZBgJUjmnk/TsSe5iUTI9I/AAAAAAAAAY0/3qfYKKvri_A/s320/A+new+speed+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />I was surprised to see a different speed bag hanging up (in the photo above) when I got inside the gym Wednesday evening.&nbsp; I like it a lot better than the other black, somewhat funny shaped speed bag that was there before.&nbsp; I worked it for three rounds, and I liked the feel of it.&nbsp; <br /><br />Not many people in the gym tonight: Jacob, Amy, Sarah, Igor, Reggie, and Kevin.&nbsp; Josh showed up at 8:45 PM.&nbsp; "You don't think you're going to get much of a workout," Alan told him as he checked the time.&nbsp; Josh replied, "I can get a couple of rounds."&nbsp; He may have gotten one in, as it took time for him to wrap his hands.&nbsp; Plus, he was talking to Alan for a few minutes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFhcdJpOPyk/TsSeoavYyPI/AAAAAAAAAYs/zf4qIXNNBss/s1600/Kevin+and+Reggie+in+the+ring+as+Alan+watches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFhcdJpOPyk/TsSeoavYyPI/AAAAAAAAAYs/zf4qIXNNBss/s320/Kevin+and+Reggie+in+the+ring+as+Alan+watches.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The only sparring took place between Kevin and Reggie (the two guys in the ring in the above photo; Alan is watching from ringside).&nbsp; Kevin kept pointing out that Reggie was quick.&nbsp; "He keeps hitting me in the face," Kevin gasped a few times during the action.&nbsp; "That's because you don't keep your hands up!" Alan said.&nbsp; No matter how many times Alan pointed that out to him, Kevin kept his hands down.&nbsp; I noticed that Reggie was giving Kevin chances to get off of the ropes instead of just charging in on him.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDcfYTvTa54/TsSea92wIdI/AAAAAAAAAYc/BzxGRHNeq5Y/s1600/Igor+poses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDcfYTvTa54/TsSea92wIdI/AAAAAAAAAYc/BzxGRHNeq5Y/s320/Igor+poses.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sigh. . .Igor (the guy in this picture).&nbsp; Some people don't change.&nbsp; While I was taking pictures of Kevin and Reggie's sparring session, Igor kept interrupting me to take several pictures of him.&nbsp; Over and over he kept telling me how many prints he wanted, and that he wanted them on Monday.&nbsp; It wasn't easy to hold down my exasperation, but I evenly told him after the umpteenth time, "I got it, Igor, but I'm going to wait until I have more pictures on the camera before I print all of them.&nbsp; It's going to be awhile before I do that."&nbsp; My purpose of taking pictures in the gym is not to have a portfolio of pictures featuring Igor.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br />"Do you mind if you don't spar tonight?&nbsp; There's not many people here," Alan said to me.&nbsp; "No, I don't care.&nbsp; I've been feeling old this week anyway," I said, and both Alan and I grinned.&nbsp; He's been complaining about his back, and today he was talking about dragging around.&nbsp; My lower back has been bothering me lately, and my knees, well. . .the both of them hurt every day, the right one worse than the left one.&nbsp; Alan was talking about him maybe not sparring anymore if he keeps feeling stiff and sore.&nbsp; I've been groaning since October about my various aches and pains.&nbsp; I think both Alan and I (we're ten years apart in age) are showing our years.&nbsp;<br /><br />Jacob no longer has to wear the little cast he had on his thumb, but his thumb still feels sore.&nbsp; He didn't ask his doctor if he could spar.&nbsp; Alan figured his doctor would most likely tell Jacob not to do it.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqaT1snpW2Q/TsSejNEhNII/AAAAAAAAAYk/tZ3YYB7A2iA/s1600/Jacob%252C+Alan%252C+Reggie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqaT1snpW2Q/TsSejNEhNII/AAAAAAAAAYk/tZ3YYB7A2iA/s320/Jacob%252C+Alan%252C+Reggie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I like this shot I took near the end of the evening. . . I didn't realize that Jacob (far left), Alan (in the middle), and Reggie (on the right) were all laughing when I snapped the picture.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N4rWuIE0DUo/TsSnOAdkC2I/AAAAAAAAAY8/XEluiwf50IU/s1600/Kevin%252C+Jacob%252C+Alan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N4rWuIE0DUo/TsSnOAdkC2I/AAAAAAAAAY8/XEluiwf50IU/s320/Kevin%252C+Jacob%252C+Alan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A few seconds later, I just moved the camera over to the left so I could get Kevin (the redhead on the far left) in the picture.&nbsp; I don't remember what the guys were laughing about.&nbsp; Probably another dirty joke. . .there are so many ones told down at the gym, but since this is a family blog, I don't dare print them.&nbsp; Trust me, they're funny.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8065228188695367345?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-37776109570791750772011-11-15T15:02:00.000-06:002011-11-15T15:02:04.367-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COK3NRk6E9s/TsLOTlUBjrI/AAAAAAAAAYM/ty0hF8h80ZQ/s1600/Kevin+pounding+on+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COK3NRk6E9s/TsLOTlUBjrI/AAAAAAAAAYM/ty0hF8h80ZQ/s320/Kevin+pounding+on+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I was waiting in one corner of the ring for the bell to ring.&nbsp; Oscar was in the other corner.&nbsp; "I want you to stay on his ass like you did the last time," Alan told me.&nbsp; I nodded.&nbsp; I did okay, but I have a bad habit of letting the other person get two or more punches in before I respond.&nbsp; Bursts of energy take place, but I don't keep going with them.&nbsp; They are allowed to dissipate, and it takes too long for me to build back the energy again.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Oscar -- who's about 25 years younger than I -- zipped around and away from me easily.&nbsp; After the three rounds were done, Alan asked me to help him put on sparring gloves.&nbsp; I was struggling to stand up straight while trying to help him.&nbsp; Sparring with Oscar is no joke.&nbsp; Luckily, that happened near the end of the evening, so I could sit down for a long rest.<br /><br />Kevin basically does the same thing.&nbsp; Earlier, he was in the ring with Paul, Alan's boss at his day job, and Kevin kept close to the ropes.&nbsp; He waited and waited for Paul to get tired.&nbsp; When he thought he did, Kevin came flying off of the ropes throwing bunches of punches.&nbsp; Paul wasn't sure how to handle Kevin when the latter kept leaning on the ropes.&nbsp; I kept wishing Paul would work his jab more.<br /><br />Oscar got into the ring a second time with Alan.&nbsp; Alan did not wear any headgear.&nbsp; I was half paying attention during the first round they were in the ring.&nbsp; When I looked up during one of the later rounds, Oscar's headgear was off.&nbsp; I thought maybe Alan knocked it off.&nbsp; Ray confirmed that Oscar had pulled it off during the action.&nbsp; "I kept trying to get a piece of Oscar, but I couldn't," Alan said later.&nbsp;&nbsp; Oscar did get a hit in on Alan's back, which wasn't good.&nbsp; It was in the same spot where Alan had been hit during a sparring session over a week ago, and it's still sore.<br /><br />Reggie and Ray sparred.&nbsp; Ray had his thumb on his left hand taped up.&nbsp; Like Jacob, Ray had injured it during a sparring session some time ago.&nbsp; It's not broken, like Jacob's thumb is, but it is badly bruised.&nbsp; It bothered Ray a lot during the sparring session.&nbsp; Someone, maybe Reggie, suggested aspirin, but Ray said, "I don't do medicine, man.&nbsp; I take vitamins.&nbsp; You know what I take for pain?&nbsp; A shot of whisky. . .seriously!"&nbsp; <br /><br />While talking with Pastor Roger in his office earlier this morning, I kept rubbing my lower back.&nbsp; "Not as young as you used to be, eh?" the pastor smiled.&nbsp; I told him about sparring with Oscar.&nbsp; "You should do like Tyson and watch the other person's rhythm, then throw a punch in the middle of that," Pastor Roger suggested.&nbsp; I'm so busy trying to land something that I seldom pay attention to the other person's rhythm.&nbsp; I don't believe I have much of a rhythm while I'm boxing.&nbsp; While dancing, it's perfect, but boxing, not so much.&nbsp; I just keep coming forward, as Alan has pointed out.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfSiTZHnlD0/TsLOd44K0tI/AAAAAAAAAYU/qIzNRsGaKQk/s1600/Hillari+at+her+locker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfSiTZHnlD0/TsLOd44K0tI/AAAAAAAAAYU/qIzNRsGaKQk/s320/Hillari+at+her+locker.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kenny was tentatively scheduled to fight at the Standard Club downtown this Thursday, but that doesn't look like it'll happen.&nbsp; Kenny's been ill, and he's been busy at work.&nbsp; No one else was really available, either. . .Jacob's thumb is still on the mend, and I don't have an amateur boxing license (and most likely, no available opponent), so that was that.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3777610957079175077?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-3796210207183685382011-11-10T23:30:00.000-06:002011-11-10T23:30:24.322-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLWQbbIxWQA/TryUBnBpRII/AAAAAAAAAX0/OvlxmoepbvY/s1600/Ernie+Terell+boxing+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLWQbbIxWQA/TryUBnBpRII/AAAAAAAAAX0/OvlxmoepbvY/s320/Ernie+Terell+boxing+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alan had to work late, so he was not at the gym Wednesday night.&nbsp; When I got there, a man and his two kids were standing a few feet from the gym entrance.&nbsp; Jilberto came down the hall to open the door.&nbsp; "Mary said to make sure no one is in the gym that hasn't paid to be there", he told me.&nbsp; He gave me the impression that Mary was on the warpath that evening about that, so I was a bit suspicious about the guy who was there with his kids.&nbsp; It never fails.&nbsp; When the coach is out, someone always shows up to check out the gym.&nbsp; Sometimes, there's no problem, but at other times, I end up having to corral someone who wants to do a workout without paying.<br /><br />The guy didn't seem to have a good command of the English language.&nbsp; He gave Jilberto and I the name of a guy who told him to come and see the gym.&nbsp; Neither Jilberto or I recognized the name.&nbsp; Jilberto spoke to the guy in Spanish, then told me that Mary wasn't happy about the guy and his kids hanging around in the hallway.&nbsp; She had said as such to the guy earlier, but he decided to keep waiting until the gym was open.&nbsp; Colonel came in, and he also spoke to the man in his native tongue.&nbsp; Information was given to him about when the gym was open, and the days his kids could train, if they wanted to learn how to box.&nbsp; That satisfied the man, and he and his kids went on their way.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45_eg20H9gI/TryUH-7_ctI/AAAAAAAAAYE/c3CcQEFI3Kc/s1600/Flag+in+gym.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45_eg20H9gI/TryUH-7_ctI/AAAAAAAAAYE/c3CcQEFI3Kc/s320/Flag+in+gym.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Joe Frazier's name was mentioned during the course of conversations last night.&nbsp; "Smokin'" Joe passed away from liver cancer the other day; he was 67 years old.&nbsp; The night before, I fell asleep with the TV tuned to ESPN Classic. They were showing some of Frazier's most famous fights, including the "Thrilla In Manilla", where he went up against Muhammad Ali.&nbsp; Ray explained the way Frazier moved in the ring was called the Philly Shell.&nbsp; I noticed that Frazier was constantly covering himself up with his hands and arms in front to ward off punches.&nbsp; It was effective as it made it very hard for opponents to get their punches through to land.&nbsp; <br /><br />Reggie asked me why the boxing show at Seward was canceled for today.&nbsp; I remember Meg mentioning that several Park District shows had been canceled this season.&nbsp; "I have no idea, Reggie, but it's been happening a lot.&nbsp; Usually the canceled shows are rescheduled, but they haven't been," I said.&nbsp; Only one more show is left this year, and that will be at Brooks Park next month.&nbsp; If that is canceled, there won't be anymore Park District shows until next summer.&nbsp; <br /><br />Last week, I didn't exercise as much as I should have.&nbsp; This week, I fooled around and forgot to exercise on Tuesday.&nbsp; I was so busy writing that I lost track of time.&nbsp; I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, and I'm already behind in my word count.&nbsp; I believe people are supposed to write about 1,667 words a day.&nbsp; Ha!&nbsp; I know how my novel begins and how it is supposed to end.&nbsp; It's the scenes in-between the beginning and end that are hard to figure out.&nbsp; The novel is about a middle-aged woman who's an amateur boxer facing a milestone birthday (sound familiar?) whose life seems to have come to a dead stop on so many levels.&nbsp; The story line follows her as she tries to make sense of what's come before and struggles to make going forward better.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV5ooCeZd_Q/TryUE5LxvKI/AAAAAAAAAX8/WK5Fj3CyKmw/s1600/Firemen+vs+Policemen+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV5ooCeZd_Q/TryUE5LxvKI/AAAAAAAAAX8/WK5Fj3CyKmw/s320/Firemen+vs+Policemen+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When I got home, I called Alan to give him a heads up about Mary's concern about people using the gym for free.&nbsp; She's been complaining and giving warnings about that for the longest.&nbsp; Yeah, there have been people who've come in and out for free over the years.&nbsp; But not everybody who has done that is from off the street.&nbsp; Some who are participating in other programs at the field house have an attitude of, "I've paid for this one, so I should be able to take part in other programs/classes -- without paying the extra fees -- since I'm already here."&nbsp; I also don't think many are aware that none of the boxing gyms in the Park District are drop-in gyms.&nbsp; Maybe extra steps need to be taken to make that clear to everyone who walks into the field houses.&nbsp; People often hear the timer bell ringing, they see the door open, and they think they can just waltz in and hit the bags.<br /><br />It's no problem if someone wants to come in and look around the gym to see if they might like to sign up for boxing.&nbsp; There's no charge for that.&nbsp; Alan and I are happy to answer questions of those who just want to check it out.&nbsp; But trying to get freebies is another thing altogether.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtG3jJWCGAk/TryT-22mbFI/AAAAAAAAAXs/bFf4lQUMp6c/s1600/Boxeo+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtG3jJWCGAk/TryT-22mbFI/AAAAAAAAAXs/bFf4lQUMp6c/s320/Boxeo+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-379621020718368538?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-20898460168348069902011-11-08T00:12:00.000-06:002011-11-08T00:12:07.154-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8IN7y5cbIZg/TrjAczg2XOI/AAAAAAAAAW8/PHYjXV72Dak/s1600/PICT1274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8IN7y5cbIZg/TrjAczg2XOI/AAAAAAAAAW8/PHYjXV72Dak/s320/PICT1274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>How many people can say they got to get in the ring with their boss?&nbsp; Alan can; he and Paul, his boss at his day job, got into the ring to spar each other.&nbsp; Paul seems like a nice guy, and Alan didn't go very hard on him.&nbsp; However, I bet a lot of people would love to get a current or past boss in the ring.&nbsp; They probably fantasize about it with glee.&nbsp; Paul and Alan went about three rounds.<br /><br />Alan was also in sparring with Reggie.&nbsp; At one point, it seemed like they were going on and on.&nbsp; Then Amy noticed the timer wasn't working.&nbsp; It seems that the timer -- which Alan brought in awhile ago -- has a short in it.&nbsp; I unplugged it, waited a few seconds, then plugged it back in.&nbsp; It began to work again.&nbsp; <br /><br />Kevin sparred with Reggie.&nbsp; Alan kept telling Kevin to keep his hands up.&nbsp; Kevin did not do his crouching near the ropes business, and stayed upright.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHKBtrTwTX4/TrjAuk_2kGI/AAAAAAAAAXk/aBYr8wTbX3g/s1600/PICT1279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHKBtrTwTX4/TrjAuk_2kGI/AAAAAAAAAXk/aBYr8wTbX3g/s320/PICT1279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The gym was a little quiet on Monday night.&nbsp; Ray (in the photo above) said that most were probably out watching a Bears-Eagles game that was on.&nbsp; He had been watching some of it before he came to the gym.&nbsp; <br /><br />Alan had been in the gym two hours before everyone else came in.&nbsp; His car had broken down, and he had to leave it at a mechanic in the suburbs.&nbsp; He took a bus down to the gym.&nbsp; Alan had put the radio on and left it on some station that sounded like it was playing a mix of 1960's pop and trance music.&nbsp; After about an hour, the station started playing what sounded like house music.&nbsp; Ray was going, "Yeah!&nbsp; I am a house-head!"&nbsp; Then I started doing footwork, a popular dance that is done much better by people way younger than I.&nbsp; I slipped and fell against the lockers.&nbsp; I had to laugh at myself.&nbsp; Then I got up and started stepping, a dance done better by people my age.&nbsp; "You know how to step?" Ray asked.&nbsp; "A little," I replied.&nbsp; Willie, whose grandson had fought in the Loyola Park boxing show last month, taught me how to do a basic six-step.&nbsp; "Teach me how to step!" Reggie smiled.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S35G0Q9ZCB8/TrjArz7CLZI/AAAAAAAAAXc/4sAplV8dOeA/s1600/PICT1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S35G0Q9ZCB8/TrjArz7CLZI/AAAAAAAAAXc/4sAplV8dOeA/s320/PICT1278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Several of us did burnouts on the heavy bags.&nbsp; Reggie and Ray were cursing as they went through the round.&nbsp; Sarah (in the foreground in the photo above) and I just put our heads down and punched until we tired ourselves out.&nbsp;<br /><br />Earlier in the day, Pastor Roger was telling me that he played football briefly at school when he was a young man.&nbsp; A dislocated shoulder convinced him that he didn't want to deal with the fallout from other injuries down the line.&nbsp; He also noticed that guys in their 30s who had played sports during their high school and college days were already experiencing health problems.&nbsp; "I was playing a pickup basketball game, and saw that a lot of the guys were taping up their joints beforehand.&nbsp; A lot of them were younger than me and already had arthritis," Pastor said.&nbsp; I told him that I'm now feeling the effects not just from boxing, but from participating in roller skating, in-line skating, ice skating, and martial arts over the years.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2089846016834806990?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-24995656944621139962011-11-03T02:03:00.001-05:002011-11-03T02:05:34.463-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qG6r3aUCNKQ/TrIzY2QLNsI/AAAAAAAAAWk/KsjlPN5hWmM/s1600/Trophies+in+the+gym.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qG6r3aUCNKQ/TrIzY2QLNsI/AAAAAAAAAWk/KsjlPN5hWmM/s320/Trophies+in+the+gym.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I walked into Pastor Roger's office on Wednesday morning and asked if I could please have another aspirin.&nbsp; "I've basically been hurting ever since I had my last fight in early October," I told him, after he made a joke about me being knocked upside my head again.&nbsp; That time, I was feeling the effects of the body punches Alan gave me on Monday.&nbsp; The aspirin helped a little.&nbsp; A long hot bath in Epson salt probably would have been better.<br /><br />There were some guys in the gym whom I did not recognize.&nbsp; One was a coach who I learned trains fighters way out in Crete, IL.&nbsp; Another was Sosa, who was being trained by that coach.&nbsp; Sosa looked like he knew what he was doing.&nbsp; He told Alan he'd like to come in again.and get some sparring in.<br /><br />Oscar and his friend Jesus returned to the gym.&nbsp; Oscar and I sparred twice; we did two separate rounds, and Kenny and I did one round together in-between that.&nbsp; It was easier to spar with Oscar, only because Oscar is my height.&nbsp; I got Oscar with some jabs and hooks.&nbsp; Alan was on the side saying, "Beautiful!&nbsp; Now keep it up!"&nbsp; Oscar seems to have become quicker each time I spar with him.&nbsp; I remembered to keep my chin down, and watch better for openings.&nbsp; But there were times when I goofed up.&nbsp; For example, I swung wildly at Oscar during our first round and ended up spinning in a circle.&nbsp; Alan chuckled about that one.&nbsp; Then Oscar popped me with a right, and I put my head down and closed my eyes, not seeing the jab that came behind it.&nbsp; Afterwards, Colonel told me, "You're tough for a church lady!"&nbsp; That's a new nickname for me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRthIgGIhtI/TrIzVcFSxMI/AAAAAAAAAWc/zMc_EV7A72E/s1600/Reggie+faces+Kenny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRthIgGIhtI/TrIzVcFSxMI/AAAAAAAAAWc/zMc_EV7A72E/s320/Reggie+faces+Kenny.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Reggie, seen facing Kenny in the above photo, went several a few rounds with him.&nbsp; Kenny has become our second Eveready Bunny in the gym (Jacob is the other one).&nbsp; When he has a fight coming up, Kenny can go several rounds non-stop.&nbsp; Kenny is sort of a like a snake in the ring, as I noticed when I sparred with him on Wednesday.&nbsp; Always coiled, and when he strikes, it's quick.&nbsp; Some of the guys that Kenny has sparred and fought with have been bigger, like Reggie, but Kenny's quickness and observation skills are assets in overcoming larger opponents.<br /><br />Kevin sparred with Ralphie.&nbsp; Alan must have told Kevin ten times to keep his hands up.&nbsp; "You're not listening to me," Alan told him during a break in the action.&nbsp; Then someone else ringside -- I think it was Kenny -- gave the same warning to Kevin.&nbsp; Alan told Kevin, "There's more than one person telling you the same thing -- do you think I'm lying?"&nbsp; Kevin went back to leaning on the ropes.&nbsp; Ralphie took advantage of the situation and kept popping him in the side.&nbsp; When Alan told Kevin not to stay in that one spot, Kevin replied, "I'm waiting for him to tire himself out."&nbsp; Several of us fell out laughing.&nbsp; "Oh, no!&nbsp; Ralphie's not going to get tired!" I told Kevin.&nbsp; Before the next round took place, Ralphie explained to Kevin that he will lose fights if he keeps waiting by the ropes and not answering punches properly.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yMFX0Dr1PWk/TrIzR3-xdyI/AAAAAAAAAWU/cyg350hpaKc/s1600/Kenny+faces+Reggie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yMFX0Dr1PWk/TrIzR3-xdyI/AAAAAAAAAWU/cyg350hpaKc/s320/Kenny+faces+Reggie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In another month and five days from now, my birthday will be here. .&nbsp; . .I still haven't made up my mind about whether to continue competing beyond that time.&nbsp; Alan called Sam to let him know that I am one of the fighters interested in having a bout during a show fight that will take place downtown later this month.&nbsp; Seward Park's boxing show is next week, but I'm sure I won't have a match there.&nbsp; Beyond those fight shows is Brooks Park, which will take place the day before my birthday.&nbsp; Most likely I will have a fight at Brooks, and how I do there may be the deciding factor on whether I take any more fights.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6ewgez26Cs/TrIzeAIJVjI/AAAAAAAAAWs/amHd0rYrmgw/s1600/Alan+observes+Ralphie+and+Kenny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>But based on the fact that I'm still feeling soreness from the fight with Meg last month, and the hard sparring with Sarah that followed behind that. . .I can't keep denying that it's become a bit harder to recover from punches.&nbsp; Wait. . .I just found a series of scrapes on my right forearm.&nbsp; They weren't there earlier, so that must have happened while sparring.&nbsp; I'm glad I'm not that vain of a person.&nbsp; Otherwise, I'd constantly have fits about all the scratches and scrapes I get (from boxing and elsewhere) and the scars they often leave behind.&nbsp;&nbsp; While I'm aware that I give off a youthful appearance, young I'm not.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6ewgez26Cs/TrIzeAIJVjI/AAAAAAAAAWs/amHd0rYrmgw/s1600/Alan+observes+Ralphie+and+Kenny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6ewgez26Cs/TrIzeAIJVjI/AAAAAAAAAWs/amHd0rYrmgw/s320/Alan+observes+Ralphie+and+Kenny.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>&nbsp;Alan was happy that none of Reggie's punches caught him in the back while they sparred.&nbsp; "It would have been bad if Reggie had gotten me, but if you hit me like that, I would have been out," Alan told me.&nbsp; I'm always apprehensive about really hurting someone.&nbsp; The second round that Oscar and I sparred, he didn't put on headgear.&nbsp; I kept throwing hooks, but honestly, I really didn't want to connect, considering Oscar's head was vulnerable.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hgo91fsQhxQ/TrIzOyzN1bI/AAAAAAAAAWM/OMOc3eD_hEQ/s1600/Alan+vs+Reggie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hgo91fsQhxQ/TrIzOyzN1bI/AAAAAAAAAWM/OMOc3eD_hEQ/s320/Alan+vs+Reggie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2499565694462113996?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-36437610929755064242011-11-01T00:44:00.001-05:002011-11-01T00:45:58.796-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zz_h2VCE7BE/Tq98LyGFLCI/AAAAAAAAAVs/RNHa3pMrluc/s1600/Alan+suited+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zz_h2VCE7BE/Tq98LyGFLCI/AAAAAAAAAVs/RNHa3pMrluc/s320/Alan+suited+up.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Halloween. . ..eh, I don't celebrate it.&nbsp; It wasn't celebrated much in my house when I was growing up.&nbsp; Ma would snap at the kids who rang our bell for candy, especially if they kept ringing it after nine at night.&nbsp; As an adult, I saw a religious program that outlined the pagan origins of this "holiday", and I was done with it after that.&nbsp; Bad things usually happen because people -- both kids and adults -- do things they shouldn't do on Halloween.&nbsp; I walked to the gym watching for eggs being thrown, or other such stupid pranks going down.&nbsp; Thankfully, I arrived at the gym without having to take a detour to chase down anyone who attempted to get a laugh at my expense.<br /><br />Colonel showed up wearing a fright mask with hands to match.&nbsp; I was laughing, as he was also wearing a nice suit.&nbsp; Brittany and Amber were waiting outside the gym along with Colonel, myself, Kenny, BK, and Igor.&nbsp; Brittany and Amber are journalism grad students at Northwestern University.&nbsp; They were there to film some of the action in the gym, and to do some interviews.<br /><br />Jacob came in wearing a splint on his left hand.&nbsp; The diagnosis?&nbsp; A hairline fracture on his thumb.&nbsp; It happened the last time he sparred with Kenny.&nbsp; He's supposed to wear the splint 24 hours a day.&nbsp; It's going to take a few months before it is completely healed.&nbsp; He put a glove over his hand with the splint still on.&nbsp; "Be careful.&nbsp; You don't want to re-injure it," I told him.&nbsp; "I think it'll be okay if I hit the bags lightly and don't spar," he said.<br /><br />Kenny sparred with Professor, Kevin, and Alan.&nbsp; He wants to fight during Seward's boxing show, which is ten days away.&nbsp; Things went well with Professor, but Kevin reverted back to some of the usual moves -- that everybody admonishes him about -- again.&nbsp; Professor and BK closely paid attention when Kevin was in the ring.&nbsp; Professor was telling Kenny to take advantage when Kevin made mistakes.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--AqGy4RmkV0/Tq98WQXEBZI/AAAAAAAAAWE/HwjZrl4uZu0/s1600/Professor+throws+a+punch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--AqGy4RmkV0/Tq98WQXEBZI/AAAAAAAAAWE/HwjZrl4uZu0/s320/Professor+throws+a+punch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I got into the ring with Alan who joked, "I'm going to smack you down."&nbsp; "See?&nbsp; See?&nbsp; Everytime I get inside the ring with you Alan, you want to beat me down," I laughed.&nbsp; I was trying my best to take advantage of any and every opening.&nbsp; I noticed earlier that when Alan threw an overhand right at Kenny, he lingered a little too long.&nbsp; Kenny could have come in with a quick jab or hook to his ribs.&nbsp; I wanted to do that, but I forgot one thing.&nbsp; I have short arms and legs.<br /><br />Well, actually I forgot another thing, too.&nbsp; Alan is cagey in the ring.&nbsp; He has this thing where he puts out his left fist on my forehead and just holds me off as I try to get closer to get in any punches.&nbsp; Kids would do that same thing to me during fights I had in grade school.&nbsp; "I'm a dirty fighter," he grinned through his mouthpiece.&nbsp; "I see," I replied, frustrated because I couldn't be as slick as I wanted to be.&nbsp; I tried to catch Alan during round two, and I tripped over my own feet, turning my ankle a little.&nbsp; That had been happening all day long.&nbsp; Twice it happened while I was at church this morning.&nbsp; The second fall was due to a direct hit I took.&nbsp; The coach had to help me back up to my feet.<br /><br />The couple of times I made any progress involved hitting Alan in a spot where he had already been hurt.&nbsp; Before he got into the ring to spar Kenny, he told me that his back was still hurting from when Kevin popped there the last time they sparred.&nbsp; The first time I punched Alan in his back, he groaned and moved away.&nbsp; "Now I'm really going to get you," he said.&nbsp; "I'm sorry. . ..I didn't mean to hit there," I said, and I was telling the truth.&nbsp; We moved around some more and boom, I got him there again.&nbsp; <i>"Whoops!"</i> I thought to myself.&nbsp; Alan caught me against the ropes, and bang, bang, bang, I caught punches to both of my sides.&nbsp; Afterwards, Alan told me, "I saw red when you got me there."&nbsp; "Honestly, I didn't mean to do it," I apologized.&nbsp; "I know you didn't, but I thought back to when I first took a hit there.&nbsp; But I forced you to fight, didn't I?" he said.&nbsp; I agreed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3VHpF3yrw6s/Tq98Pi9BVWI/AAAAAAAAAV0/8dQ9KCFBnMs/s1600/Igor+Colonel+and+Amber.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3VHpF3yrw6s/Tq98Pi9BVWI/AAAAAAAAAV0/8dQ9KCFBnMs/s320/Igor+Colonel+and+Amber.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Brittany interviewed myself, Kenny, and Alan.&nbsp; I talked about always being a tomboy who liked rougher sports.&nbsp; Kenny talked about how boxing helps keep him on the straight and narrow.&nbsp; Alan revealed that he'd been boxing since he was 20 years old, forty years ago.&nbsp; "I was considered old for starting that late.&nbsp; The thought then was that boxers were about done when they became 28 years old.&nbsp; Today, you have boxers who are fighting way over the age of thirty-five, so that decline has been disproved."&nbsp; He spoke about Rudy Cisneros (12-3-0), a professor boxer whom Alan began training when Cisneros was ten years old.&nbsp; Cisneros was one of the boxers on season two of the TV reality competition, "The Contender".&nbsp; Cisneros was not the only boxer whom Alan trained who turned pro, but Alan considered him to be one of the best fighters he ever trained.&nbsp; "I won't keep sparring forever because the body does break down after awhile.&nbsp; But I'll keep coaching as long as I am able to walk into the gym.&nbsp; I love it.&nbsp; I would do this for free," Alan said.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3643761092975506424?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-49049721766965259802011-10-27T20:44:00.001-05:002011-10-27T20:46:01.854-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZAXg-3xTcI/TqoBFhqAYgI/AAAAAAAAAUA/p7bpEh1Qp1U/s1600/Nate+Jr+and+Nate+Sr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZAXg-3xTcI/TqoBFhqAYgI/AAAAAAAAAUA/p7bpEh1Qp1U/s320/Nate+Jr+and+Nate+Sr.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />A high school buddy of mine, Elizabeth, was in town.&nbsp; I hadn't seen her since 1976. . .let me explain.&nbsp; Elizabeth only attended the high school for the 1975-1976 school year.&nbsp; Her mother made her transfer to another school after that year.&nbsp; We had an art class together, but I always remembered her because she was quiet, she loved comedian George Carlin, and when she did speak, she had intelligent things to say.&nbsp; I hung out yesterday evening with her and husband at Hugo's Frog Bar, where another former classmate, John, works as a musician.&nbsp; It was a good, relaxing time.&nbsp; "My husband was hoping that you would come by.&nbsp; He was intrigued to hear that you're a boxer," Elizabeth smiled.&nbsp; <br /><br />I stayed a little longer than I intended because I was enjoying everyone's company so much.&nbsp; When I arrived at the gym, Colonel said, "Girl, we thought a serial killer had gotten a hold of you!"&nbsp; Alan was perched on top of his desk.&nbsp; "I was about to call you to see where you were," he smiled.<br /><br />A lot of activity was going on.&nbsp; Nate Sr. (seen bending over in the photo above) was there with his son, Nate Jr. (the young man sitting down in the photo), along with another kid whom I have seen before, but couldn't remember his name.&nbsp; The boys were sparring, probably because they have matches coming up.&nbsp; That's usually the case when the fighters who are under 18 show up to the adult boxing class.&nbsp; <br /><br />I kept on practicing keeping my chin down, which is a move I should have mastered years before.&nbsp; Colonel told me to drop my head, then lean it over to the right.&nbsp; That way, I don't get a crick in my neck.&nbsp; He also said I should aim my jabs a little higher, using my shoulder to protect the side of my face.&nbsp; The object is to keep an opponent from easily coming over with their right to pop me.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZ26SDq2xGU/TqoBJQlRqtI/AAAAAAAAAUI/ssa_mV8LLmk/s1600/Seth+and+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZ26SDq2xGU/TqoBJQlRqtI/AAAAAAAAAUI/ssa_mV8LLmk/s320/Seth+and+Ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Seth (in the orange shirt) sparred with Ray (who's looking for gloves on the glove table).&nbsp; I they did a couple of rounds.&nbsp; Then Kevin got in with Ray.&nbsp; Alan kept yelling at Kevin not to do the stay-by-the-ropes-and-cover-up thing that Kevin did when he sparred with Alan the other day.&nbsp; Kevin still did that a few times, but he did stand up and box with Ray.<br /><br />Sarah came in, but I begged off sparring again.&nbsp; There is a crick in my neck, the result of continuing fallout from the fight with Meg a couple of weeks ago, plus sparring with Sarah right behind that fight.&nbsp; This is one of those times when I feel like my body is really out of whack.&nbsp; When I exercise at home with the DVDs, I find myself constantly making modifications to the moves I see.&nbsp; My knees won't cooperate, I can't bounce around, I can't bend too far. . . .it's a trip.&nbsp; The good thing is I am getting used to exercising five days a week.&nbsp; I gained a pound from last week, but that's okay.&nbsp; Eventually, the numbers will go back down.&nbsp; <br /><br />At the end of the night, Colonel said he forgot that Halloween is this upcoming Monday.&nbsp; "I like to scare the kids around the neighborhood," he grinned, and told us how he tricks out his house to achieve that.&nbsp; I don't celebrate Halloween because it wasn't celebrated much in my house when I was a kid.&nbsp; Over the years, I've also had a problem with a "holiday" that celebrates darkness in this world.&nbsp; In addition, too many adults use the day to really show out in many wrong ways.&nbsp; Speaking of which, Alan grinned and said, "I like driving around on Halloween and looking at the women in their scanty costumes."&nbsp; "I'm telling Riva," I said, referring to his wife.&nbsp; "I tell her that I look," Alan replied, grinning even wider.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-4904972176696525980?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-19107516541274967212011-10-25T00:16:00.000-05:002011-10-25T00:16:59.818-05:00Got all the way downstairs with my boxing gear and realized that I forgot to pack my camera.&nbsp;<i> "Oh, well,"</i> I thought as I headed towards the front lobby door.&nbsp; A woman comes in and we exchange hellos.&nbsp; At first, I thought she was a tenant until I saw the mail cart outside.&nbsp; <i>"She's just now delivering the mail,"</i> I thought to myself as I shook my head.&nbsp; <br /><br />Alan had just opened up the gym when I arrived.&nbsp; The room was stuffy, and it felt like middle of August instead of late October.&nbsp; I was tempted to turn on the fan, but I let it go.&nbsp; We'll appreciate the heat soon enough as the weeks roll on.&nbsp; <br /><br />Luckily, my little chin down helper was in my bag.&nbsp; I brought it from Ringside years ago when I first took up boxing.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is basically a roll of foam encased inside a covering with the boxing company's logo on it.&nbsp; An elastic strap is attached so it can hang around the neck.&nbsp; The purpose of it it to get a boxer in the habit of keeping their chin down while punching.&nbsp; Since it's been pointed out by both Kenny and Colonel that I have my chin up too much, I decided to practice with it to break that habit.&nbsp;<br /><br />I begged off sparing again.&nbsp; My neck is still a bit stiff and my right side below the rib cage is still acting funny, too.&nbsp; My right knee felt as if someone had taken a small ball peen hammer and hit one side of it.&nbsp; There's also a mysterious scrape on the lower left side of my back.&nbsp; Don't ask me how it got there.&nbsp; I woke up one morning, and there it was.&nbsp; I'm always waking up and finding scrapes on myself.&nbsp; It makes me wonder whom am I fighting in my sleep.&nbsp; Makes me wonder if I'm winning those nocturnal fights, too.<br /><br />Ray and Kenny sparred, and Ray ended up jamming his thumb on his left hand.&nbsp; On Kenny's directions, Ray shot a jab at him, but it grazed off of Kenny's headgear instead.&nbsp; Ray's thumb turned blue.&nbsp; "I love him to death, but that's what I get for listening to him," Ray said.&nbsp; <br /><br />Jacob's thumb wasn't doing any better; he has to see a hand specialist in a few days.&nbsp; He was able to shadow box and hit the bags, but sparring was out.&nbsp; Jacob was not able to fight at Hamlin Park's boxing show last week because of it.&nbsp; Kenny sat it out, too; he's battling a bad cold.&nbsp; <br /><br />Kenny also sparred with Reggie, who seemed to be worn out after their encounter.&nbsp; They came out, then Alan stepped into the ring with Kevin, who showed up wearing a mouthpiece.&nbsp; The sparring between them was largely a one-sided affair.&nbsp; Kevin spent the majority of the time bent down low in the corners, against the ropes.&nbsp; Alan used the opportunity to work on Kevin's ribs on his left side.&nbsp; The rest of us kept telling Kevin to stop hugging the corners so much, but Kevin claimed to have a plan.<br /><br />The younger man kept waiting for opportunities to either come roaring out with a series of punches or one big one.&nbsp; However, Alan protected himself well from the occasional onslaughts of hits.&nbsp; Kevin jumped out of the corner at one point and held Alan's head down with his left hand.&nbsp; His right hand pounded Alan on his back.&nbsp; Alan would say later that his kidneys were really going to feel that later on. Alan caught Kevin with a sharp right that nearly turned Kevin's head around.&nbsp; In between the rounds, I gave Kevin water.&nbsp; Kevin swirled it around then deposited it into a nearby spit bucket.&nbsp; I noticed there was not only blood in the bucket, but around Kevin's mouth as well.&nbsp; He wiped his mouth off with a nearby towel and kept going.&nbsp; The two of them did three rounds in total.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1910751654127496721?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-5443346739785338092011-10-20T01:41:00.000-05:002011-10-20T01:41:40.500-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA2R8hhV9n0/Tp-5g_VcVhI/AAAAAAAAATg/FWLh21qJTxg/s1600/No+Vulgar+Language+Allowed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA2R8hhV9n0/Tp-5g_VcVhI/AAAAAAAAATg/FWLh21qJTxg/s320/No+Vulgar+Language+Allowed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The news media was going on and on about the waves crashing up against Chicago's shores, and how the bike paths along Lake Michigan had to be shut down.&nbsp; Big deal.&nbsp; It's not that hasn't happened before.&nbsp; I wasn't feeling well when I woke up this morning, so I stayed home most of the day.&nbsp; I could hear the winds whipping around and the rain falling.&nbsp; Once again, no big whoop.&nbsp; Typical Chicago weather.<br /><br />I felt well enough to go to the gym Wednesday evening.&nbsp; Jiliberto opened the gym door and asked, "Where is everybody else?"&nbsp; Normally, a few people other than myself are standing outside the gym, waiting to get in.&nbsp; "I think it's going to be a small crowd because of the weather," I told him.&nbsp; It was still raining outside, although the wind had died down a bit.&nbsp; The temperatures had gone down, too.&nbsp; Sure enough, the only people in attendance outside of Alan and myself were Colonel, Kevin, Amy, Seth and Reggie.&nbsp; Kevin brought in a friend of his named Nick.&nbsp; <br /><br />Reggie, Seth and Kevin sparred.&nbsp; Alan asked Amy if she wanted to spar, but she didn't.&nbsp; Amy has only sparred with her sister Sarah, who wasn't in attendance that night.&nbsp; I didn't feel like sparring.&nbsp; I'm still experiencing soreness, and based on the fact I missed work that morning because of illness, I didn't want to chance getting jacked up again. I did a workout, but my mind wasn't totally focused on it.&nbsp; I should have put more into than I did.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq8V4G2leW8/Tp-5recjzxI/AAAAAAAAATw/e_lYrZSZoMQ/s1600/Reggie+vs+Seth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq8V4G2leW8/Tp-5recjzxI/AAAAAAAAATw/e_lYrZSZoMQ/s320/Reggie+vs+Seth.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Looks like neither Jacob nor Kenny will fight at Hamlin tomorrow night.&nbsp; Kenny's not feeling well, and the verdict is still out on whether or not Jacob is able to use his thumb which he injured during sparring awhile ago.&nbsp; I might still go to Hamlin just to watch the fights.&nbsp; Colonel was planning to go, too.<br /><br />Colonel and Alan remind me of my uncles because of the stories they tell about altercations and near-altercations they've been in.&nbsp; Recently, Colonel had to step to a guy on the train.&nbsp; "This scary looking MF got on the train acting crazy. . .the guy stood over a woman and was harassing her.&nbsp; Scared the poor woman to death.&nbsp; I got up and told the guy, 'Look, I'm the craziest MF on this train', and the guy backed down.&nbsp; I was ticked because I'm a a buck forty-seven challenging the guy, and nobody else on the train moved to stop him!" "That's how people do," I told Colonel, remembering a couple of times when I came to the rescue of passengers being messed with on public transportation while others sat and acted as if nothing was happening. <br /><br />Alan told of an incident that happened when he was twenty-nine years old.&nbsp; The engineer in the building he lived in at the time waited until it was just he and Alan on the elevator.&nbsp; The engineer locked the elevator car and told Alan, "There are no witnesses, so I'm going to beat you up."&nbsp; The engineer had earlier accused Alan of disrespecting him.&nbsp; Alan tried to talk the guy down, but to no avail, so he had no choice but to swing back. The engineer later pressed charges, and lied to the police about Alan using a weapon on him.&nbsp; This is where the having no witnesses issue backfired on the engineer, and the case was thrown out.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQAv-5Yx-r0/Tp_CXJjBvzI/AAAAAAAAAT4/fj6jLD_DLlY/s1600/All+Visitors+Must+Have+A+Seat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQAv-5Yx-r0/Tp_CXJjBvzI/AAAAAAAAAT4/fj6jLD_DLlY/s320/All+Visitors+Must+Have+A+Seat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-544334673978533809?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-21724262229455732092011-10-18T01:14:00.000-05:002011-10-18T01:14:56.931-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yn8Wd3D8bMY/Tp0TXHxs_-I/AAAAAAAAATA/7xBBvAUJfU0/s1600/Reggie+and+Kevin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yn8Wd3D8bMY/Tp0TXHxs_-I/AAAAAAAAATA/7xBBvAUJfU0/s320/Reggie+and+Kevin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Reggie (the guy sitting in the photo above) came in the gym Monday night.&nbsp; He had broken a femur bone playing basketball a few weeks ago.&nbsp; It's healing up, but I worried about him doing a heavy workout.&nbsp; Reggie had good news that he passed the physical required by the Evanston Police Department.&nbsp; BK, who was also in the gym (he now works in security at a college) was very interested.&nbsp; BK wants to be a cop too, and he's thinking about applying for the force in Lake County.<br /><br />The other guy in the photo with Reggie is Kevin, who appeared to be healing nicely from injuries he suffered in a recent altercation elsewhere.&nbsp; He revealed that he had trained up at Brooks Park awhile back.&nbsp; There was a disagreement between him and a coach there, and Kevin was shown the door.&nbsp; Alan was surprised because he knows the coach there -- Pat -- to be rather mild-mannered.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FozZKBkYga8/Tp0Tiq1jzhI/AAAAAAAAATY/JpHLM6RKf8g/s1600/Paul+and+Alan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FozZKBkYga8/Tp0Tiq1jzhI/AAAAAAAAATY/JpHLM6RKf8g/s320/Paul+and+Alan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sorry that the above photo looks off.&nbsp; I have no idea what was going on with the camera.&nbsp; The guy on the left is Paul, who is the boss at Alan's day job.&nbsp; Alan (on the right) gave him a little training.&nbsp; He was impressed with Paul's stamina and wind.&nbsp;<br /><br />No sparring went on.&nbsp; The guys that are always up for it didn't come in that evening, and Sarah wasn't feeling well according to her sister Amy.&nbsp; I was going to fill the water bottles out of habit, but both of them were full.&nbsp; I'm assuming they had been that way since last Thursday, when the kids were in the gym. &nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWcY7vUZXXg/Tp0TbFY_fZI/AAAAAAAAATI/PikKa0pVj5M/s1600/Colonel+Victor+and+Igor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWcY7vUZXXg/Tp0TbFY_fZI/AAAAAAAAATI/PikKa0pVj5M/s320/Colonel+Victor+and+Igor.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Victor (the guy in the middle in the photo above) came in later.&nbsp; Colonel (in the blue) and Igor (wearing the Bears jacket -- I think that's a Bears jacket) watch something that Victor had taped, probably a fight.&nbsp; Victor and Colonel started playing around for the camera, as seen below.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5RBlOA48so/Tp0TPj2YYfI/AAAAAAAAASw/eZS0Sboub58/s1600/Victor+and+Colonel+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5RBlOA48so/Tp0TPj2YYfI/AAAAAAAAASw/eZS0Sboub58/s320/Victor+and+Colonel+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NH6oYM4kmys/Tp0TTjCSwpI/AAAAAAAAAS4/5dlUHuevoSU/s1600/Victor+and+Colonel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NH6oYM4kmys/Tp0TTjCSwpI/AAAAAAAAAS4/5dlUHuevoSU/s320/Victor+and+Colonel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Colonel gave me two pieces of good advice.&nbsp; "Keep your chin down and next to your right shoulder.&nbsp; Pretend as if you're a sick bird," he said.&nbsp; It helps protect one's right side of the face from being exposed to full-on blows.&nbsp; I'm wondering why in the heck was I going around for so long with my chin up in the air.&nbsp; I know better than that.&nbsp; That would explain how easy it was for Meg to get in that uppercut that nearly took me out two weeks ago.&nbsp; The second piece of advice was, "Never date guys who live in Chicago.&nbsp; They don't know how to treat women!"<br /><br />While I would have loved to have a rematch with Meg this Thursday at Hamlin, the truth is, I'm not up for it.&nbsp; I took a beating from her at Loyola's boxing show, then I had some hard sparring sessions with Sarah the following week.&nbsp; Both knees have been bothering me since that time.&nbsp; My left shoulder's been a bother since I sparred with Sarah that Monday after the bout, and something feels pinched in my neck.&nbsp; Stiffness has set in all over.&nbsp; I should have taken it easy after that match, but noooo, as the late John Belushi would say.&nbsp; I had to jump right back into things.&nbsp; I've been close friends with heat patches, Arnica cream, Icy Hot, Ben Gay, and Advil since then.&nbsp; I'll go up to Hamlin to support Jacob and Kenny who'll have matches there, but I'll have to sit that boxing show out.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bF96bB7o9s8/Tp0Te5ceZII/AAAAAAAAATQ/hN-F5bncuQY/s1600/Gym+photo+board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bF96bB7o9s8/Tp0Te5ceZII/AAAAAAAAATQ/hN-F5bncuQY/s320/Gym+photo+board.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2172426222945573209?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-17541384127678277762011-10-14T11:37:00.000-05:002011-10-14T11:37:55.058-05:00Kenny and I sparred this past Wednesday.&nbsp; Yesterday, I had what Oprah would always refer to as an "ah ha!" moment.&nbsp; I have to really learn how to fight differently because of my height.&nbsp; Kenny and Alan always point out how I throw punches out when the opponent is way out of my range.&nbsp; The other fighter can always zap me, however, because of their longer arm reach.&nbsp; I've also noticed, especially over the past few years, that it's hard for me to chase opponents around the ring.&nbsp; Their longer legs give them the advantage of covering more ground in order to avoid my punches.&nbsp; <br /><br />Which reminds me of a story from back in 1988.&nbsp; It was early on New Year's Day, and the guy I was dating at the time and myself were leaving a party that had been thrown by radio station V103 at the McCormick Hotel.&nbsp; It was bone cold outside, and we had a bit of a walk to get back to the nearest public transportation stop.&nbsp; I had been foolish enough to wear low pumps and not carry a pair of boots along with me.&nbsp; Ice and snow covered the sidewalks.&nbsp; I was stepping fast because I wanted to get out of the weather.&nbsp; The guy laughed when he noticed that for every two steps he took, I was taking several.&nbsp; He was 6'3" with long legs.&nbsp; I'm still 5'1" with short, stubby legs.&nbsp; <br /><br />I can't think of any male boxers who are short, although I'm sure there are some.&nbsp; But there are plenty of professional female boxers who are 5'5" and under.&nbsp; I need to watch film on them to see how they get around the height disadvantage.&nbsp; I know someone short can take down someone who's taller than they.&nbsp; Like my Aunt Mary is fond of saying, "Dynamite comes in small packages."&nbsp; She's only 4'11".&nbsp; It wasn't too long ago that some guy was messing with her on the street and she knocked him to the pavement.&nbsp; Didn't I mention that my aunt is in her late seventies?&nbsp; My mother is 5'3", and she and my late father, unfortunately, had their dustups before they eventually divorced.&nbsp; Yet she managed to put a few scars on my old man, who was 5'9", and bigger and heavier than she.&nbsp; <br /><br />Now that I further think about it, I need to muster up more of the fighting instincts that Ma and my aunts have, too.&nbsp; While I was in the ring with Kenny, Alan barked, "Hillari, come on!&nbsp; You're not even trying to hit him!"&nbsp; In the back of my mind, I'm always thinking I never really want to hurt anyone.&nbsp; I'm too nice in that respect, but it doesn't serve me well in the ring. &nbsp;I've mentioned before that my maternal grandfather had been an amateur boxer; my mother and my aunts learned how to throw punches by watching their dad whenever he taught my late uncles how to box.&nbsp; My uncles had plenty of stories about the spectacular street fights they were in -- and often won -- but my mother and my aunts were (and are still) not slouches when it came to defending themselves.&nbsp; <br /><br />Maybe it would help more if I pretended my opponents were people who had pissed me off.&nbsp; I have a long list of plenty in the past who have that I could use.&nbsp; Just recently added someone new to the list last night.&nbsp; I ordered food, and the delivery guy called up to my place on the intercom.&nbsp; I buzzed him in.&nbsp; A moment later, he calls back.&nbsp; "Is the buzzer not working?" I ask, which is usually the case.&nbsp; "Yeah, it does, but there's a woman down here who told me she wasn't going to let me into the lobby until she leaves," the guy replied.&nbsp; I knew exactly who that woman was.&nbsp; In my last post, I complained about both of my knees hurting.&nbsp; I forgot about the pain and ran downstairs as fast as I could.&nbsp; <br /><br />The woman in question was sitting in the lobby.&nbsp; There are several human irritants who have taken up residence in my building over the past couple of years.&nbsp; She's one of them.&nbsp; The woman does not speak when "hello" is said to her, prefering to look through people as if they weren't there.&nbsp; A neighbor down the hall from me had to tell her off when the woman tried to prevent them from putting their clothes in the dryer.&nbsp; The woman had decided the dryers were her personal property that day, and she felt no other tenant was allowed to use them.&nbsp; She has attempted to block other tenants -- including myself -- from entering the building if they happen to be walking in behind her.&nbsp; She'll ask, "Do you live here?" when she knows good and damn well she's seen that person coming in and out and getting their mail numerous times before.&nbsp; The woman continuously displays all manner of rude and odd behavior.&nbsp; <br /><br />"Why did you tell the delivery guy that he couldn't come in here?" I demanded as soon as I got down to the lobby.&nbsp; She dabbed her face with a napkin and blatantly ignored me.&nbsp; I asked her again, and still no response.&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp;was calling her all kinds of foul names in my mind.&nbsp; It ocurred to me to snatch her arm and shake her violently.&nbsp; All I had to take was two steps to grab her, and it would have been a done deal.&nbsp; It was pretty stupid of her not to consider that she might have set herself up for some major unpleasantness.&nbsp; But&nbsp;I remembered that I do know how to box,&nbsp;and no, I didn't feel like explaining myself to the police that night.&nbsp; "Don't do it again," I said coldly, before letting the delivery guy in.&nbsp; I stomped back up to my apartment with my food, wishing that I hadn't taken the high road with her.&nbsp; But that's another major thing I've learned since taking up boxing.&nbsp; I have to walk away from some people in order not to make it a bad day for either me or them.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1754138412767827776?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-48312163346041604002011-10-12T01:34:00.003-05:002011-10-12T01:39:58.017-05:00It was Columbus Day, but the field house and the gym was open.&nbsp; Carolyn wasn't there, and none of the women at the front desk had a key for the gym door.&nbsp; Alan was running late again, and he had called in to let the staff know he was on his way. Kenny and Colonel walked in and wondered why I was waiting in the hall.&nbsp; "Did you ask if any of the front desk people have keys?" Colonel asked. "No. . .," I said, but before I could finish, Colonel was asking if they could open up.&nbsp; One of the women had taken the late call from Alan.&nbsp; She told Colonel that the staff was waiting for Alan to show up.&nbsp; Colonel wanted in, so he called Alan so he could tell the staff to open the door.&nbsp; Kenny admonished his father for doing that, indicating that Colonel might get the staff in trouble.<br /><br />Later, when Alan arrived and we could gain access to the gym, I explained it to Colonel.&nbsp; "When Carolyn is here on Monday, and Jiliberto is here on Wednesday, they usually open up the gym if Alan hasn't gotten here yet and they see me.&nbsp; That is, unless they've heard something different from Mary.&nbsp; But if Carolyn and Jiliberto are not here, I don't ask other staff to open up, because I know that Mary might get on them for it."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMwMQh4rTC4/TpUU4mMMRaI/AAAAAAAAASg/4TrVSPhtrlQ/s1600/Guys+in+the+gym+Oct+10+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMwMQh4rTC4/TpUU4mMMRaI/AAAAAAAAASg/4TrVSPhtrlQ/s320/Guys+in+the+gym+Oct+10+11.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Marcus stopped in briefly on Monday night to show us his left arm.&nbsp; A muscle popped in his upper arm while he was using an exercise machine at another gym.&nbsp; The doctors did their repair job, but the healing is going to take awhile.&nbsp; He was wearing a cast.&nbsp; "It'll probably be February before I can get back in the gym to do anything," Marcus told me.&nbsp; "It happens like that.&nbsp; You've been used to doing a certain exercise, and all of a sudden something happens to a joint or muscle.&nbsp; You wonder what is going on?" Alan said.&nbsp; <br /><br />Kevin came in a little awhile later.&nbsp; He was calling me from outside one of the windows to come open the back field house door up.&nbsp; I thought I heard someone calling my name, but since it wasn't coming from one of the guys already in the gym, I thought I was mistaken.&nbsp; Kevin had a bad gash and some scrapes on his forehead.&nbsp; From what he told me, his injuries came out of a situation where drinking was involved.<br /><br />Kevin's gash sort of reminded me of a fight my late paternal grandmother started decades ago with a woman who was much bigger than she.&nbsp; Grandma was 4'11; the woman, a tenant of hers at the time, was 6 feet tall.&nbsp; The argument involved payment of rent.&nbsp; My mother said they exchanged words, then in the next instant, Grandma was all over the woman like a cheap suit.&nbsp; When it was all over, the tall woman had a bald spot at the top of her head.&nbsp; It wasn't because my grandmother had pulled her hair out. Grandma had repeatedly scraped the woman's head against the sidewalk.<br />&nbsp; <br />Professor gave Kevin pointers on how to throw punches. Kevin was throwing a lot of them on the heavy bag, but there wasn't much power behind them.&nbsp; He also taught Kevin how to jump rope.<br />&nbsp; <br />No one sparred, which is very rare, especially since Alan took over the gym.&nbsp; Kenny announced early on that he didn't feel like it.&nbsp; My knees have been bothering me since before the last fight I had, and I wasn't up for it, either.&nbsp; There wasn't that many on hand in the gym that night.&nbsp; I suspect a lot of people thought the gym was closed because of Columbus Day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ocVOGLr41R4/TpUVoCUrMMI/AAAAAAAAASo/3xLr1xczwkE/s320/Kevin+Kenny+and+Colonel.JPG" width="320" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-4831216334604160400?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-56426773744677663422011-10-09T20:38:00.000-05:002011-10-09T20:38:29.267-05:00I exercised six days last week.&nbsp; That's counting the two days I'm at the gym.&nbsp; Finally, I figured out how to reset up the DVD player.&nbsp; When the exterminators came in a month ago to get rid of the bed bugs (I haven't seen any in awhile--knock on wood), they had unhooked the DVD from my TV.&nbsp; It took awhile for me to figure out what cord goes where.&nbsp; The instructions I have weren't a whole lot of help.&nbsp; But then, what instructions for TV and DVD hookups are?<br /><br />I pulled out a few exercise DVDs, mixing them up for a little variety.&nbsp; I need a mix of strength training and cardio, not only strength training like my neighbor Eric suggested.&nbsp; Eric is big on weight lifting, the type of guy who spends three plus hours in a traditional gym hoisting 300+ pounds and more.&nbsp; Being strong is a plus, but strength alone does not win boxing matches.&nbsp; I've seen too many guys walk into the boxing gym who think their muscles are the only advantage they need.&nbsp; Stamina and conditioning count for a lot.&nbsp; If neither one of those are present, a boxer can't expect to be very successful when facing an opponent.<br /><br />I like Kettlebell 3-in-1 with Amy Bento.&nbsp; There are two complete workouts on the DVD, the first one being the right pace for beginners.&nbsp; The second workout is for the intermediate level which is just slightly more intense.&nbsp; Ms. Bento has a tutorial so that people can learn how to use the kettlebell properly before they begin.&nbsp; Working with kettlebells is a combination of strength training as well as cardio.&nbsp; <br /><br />Sarah Lurie has a DVD set called Iron Core Kettlebell.&nbsp; Complaints I read online about these DVDs were about the 30 second breaks in-between sets.&nbsp; You know what?&nbsp; They're needed.&nbsp; Ms. Lurie is no joke when it comes to this workout, which is more intense than Ms. Bento's. While Ms. Bento is friendly, Ms. Lurie is no-nonsense and about the business.&nbsp; That Turkish Getup exercise where you have to raise up from the floor while keeping an eye on the kettlebell?&nbsp; Legalized torture.&nbsp; <br /><br />The other two DVDs I used were by ray-of-sunshine Leslie Sansone.&nbsp; Ms. Sansone is very cheery, talkative, and upbeat which helps a lot when one is trying to stay motivated to exercise.&nbsp; She is the queen of power walking workouts.&nbsp; I like her workouts because they are gentle to the joints.&nbsp; Years ago, when I turned thirty, I guess I was grumbling about the loss of flexibility, which I was beginning to notice.&nbsp; A former co-worker of mine, Mary (God rest her soul), told me, "Wait until you turn fifty."&nbsp; She was right.&nbsp; Don't think a walking workout is easy or wimpy.&nbsp; I'm sweating by the time I get to the middle of it.&nbsp; The two DVDs I used last week were Punch Up Your Walk (which involves using weighted gloves that were included with the DVD) and Walk Away the Pounds.&nbsp; Both DVDs give the option of doing the whole workout or just 1, 2, 3, or 4 miles of walking depending how much time you have and how you feel.&nbsp; <br /><br />Next week, I'll wade through the other exercise DVDs I have to keep the variety going.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5642677374467766342?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-10787664243078282542011-10-06T22:35:00.001-05:002011-10-06T22:37:49.469-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PYjSMoq4VJE/To5pDy9rmXI/AAAAAAAAASY/NkrErxyw2hc/s1600/Body+shield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PYjSMoq4VJE/To5pDy9rmXI/AAAAAAAAASY/NkrErxyw2hc/s320/Body+shield.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I made a comment to Pastor Roger awhile back about boxers being tougher than football players because boxers don't take off between February and August (or however long it is that football players are in off-season).&nbsp; The pastor, an ardent football fan, smugly replied, "Football players take time to recuperate."&nbsp; Well, football players don't have to be ready at any time for fights like boxers are.<br /><br />But I think we pay for being at that level of readiness.&nbsp; I was back in the gym this past Monday after having a fight last Friday, and I sparred on Monday.&nbsp; I also sparred on Wednesday -- with Sarah both days.&nbsp; Maybe should I have begged off of sparring and toned down the workout a little this week.&nbsp; I've been sore since last Friday.&nbsp; Today, my right knee was on fire.&nbsp; I had to go to the drug store this afternoon and get a heat patch.<br /><br />Josh, who hadn't been in for a long time, came in.&nbsp; He asked me what had been going on, and I told him about last week's boxing show.&nbsp; That's all he needed to hear.&nbsp; Josh made a beeline towards Jacob and started asking a bunch of questions.&nbsp; He spent most of his time in the gym asking questions and talking.&nbsp; I honestly don't remember Josh doing a workout at all that night.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bW-yYMDyxRU/To5pA_PZUFI/AAAAAAAAASU/wwXS0Cl_V4U/s1600/Alan+avoids+Ralphie%2527s+punch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bW-yYMDyxRU/To5pA_PZUFI/AAAAAAAAASU/wwXS0Cl_V4U/s320/Alan+avoids+Ralphie%2527s+punch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ralphie sparred with Alan, as seen in the photo above.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-manmSSifW-4/To5pHOPhJxI/AAAAAAAAASc/Z__QBqprFA0/s1600/Ralphie+faces+Alan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-manmSSifW-4/To5pHOPhJxI/AAAAAAAAASc/Z__QBqprFA0/s320/Ralphie+faces+Alan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And in this photo too.<br /><br />I forgot to call Alan ahead of time to remind him to bring in a timer.&nbsp; The one in the gym is officially broken.&nbsp; Fortunately, Colonel brought in one that he owns to use for the evening. &nbsp; <br /><br />I've decided that I really need to step up the exercise, so I've been working out with my kettlebells this week.&nbsp; Once again, I conveniently forgot that I'm still sore from Friday.&nbsp; Maybe I should have waited until, oh, let's say, next week to put the new exercise routine into place.&nbsp; Looks like I'll be back in the drug store later to pick up BenGay and pain pills.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1078766424307828254?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-81913883000013417992011-10-04T00:44:00.001-05:002011-10-04T00:45:29.503-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tGO9OxknHp4/ToqYKDGAhjI/AAAAAAAAASM/5svClGfVqWo/s1600/Colonel+instructs+Melissa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tGO9OxknHp4/ToqYKDGAhjI/AAAAAAAAASM/5svClGfVqWo/s320/Colonel+instructs+Melissa.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I wasn't hurting much on Saturday, but by Sunday, I gingerly eased into my usual pew at church service.&nbsp; Soaking in a warm bath of green rubbing alcohol later that afternoon didn't help much.&nbsp; My left shoulder blade, my left shoulder, both of my knees, and my sides were jacked up.&nbsp; I shuffled around like the old woman that I'm slowly becoming.<br /><br />That didn't stop me from sparring with Sarah on Monday, however, as I reverted back to the habit from my younger days of throwing caution to the wind.&nbsp; Alan kept telling me over and over, "Work your way in with the jab, then work on the inside."&nbsp; I attempted to do that, but I was reminded again and again of how short I am by Sarah's long reach.&nbsp; I dug in on some body shots, but my head paid the price.<br /><br />Alan wondered where the other women -- Maggie, Ursula, Baia, Lynesta -- were at.&nbsp; Of those, Ursula did come in with a guy named Robert.&nbsp; A lot of the guys were missing, too.&nbsp; "Where are they at?" Colonel asked.&nbsp; "You know, after a boxing show, people take off for a night," Alan answered. &nbsp; Steve, the former coach, used to tell guys that they didn't have to come in to the gym right after they had a fight.&nbsp; I had a half a notion to stay home myself, but it lasted for a second.&nbsp; I needed to get right back into the workout, regardless of how sore I felt.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V71jN-tkZQ4/ToqX2NSl3XI/AAAAAAAAASA/P1TkeybjXzs/s1600/Alan+and+a+cop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V71jN-tkZQ4/ToqX2NSl3XI/AAAAAAAAASA/P1TkeybjXzs/s320/Alan+and+a+cop.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The cops have been hanging around the gym frequently as of late. One of the last time a pair came in, Alan jokingly pointed to Kenny and told the cops, "There he is!"&nbsp; "Man, don't scare me like that," Kenny told the coach.&nbsp; Kenny has freely admitted to having been a guest of the police on several occasions when he was younger.&nbsp; The cops come in, observe the training and the sparring, and talk to Alan.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KX6sgEsKcIc/ToqX5GlaGAI/AAAAAAAAASE/ww76iqc5ZyE/s1600/Another+cop+in+the+doorway+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KX6sgEsKcIc/ToqX5GlaGAI/AAAAAAAAASE/ww76iqc5ZyE/s320/Another+cop+in+the+doorway+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Colonel gave me a copy of Friday's boxing show.&nbsp; "Don't punch me too hard, but all of your fight didn't make it on tape.&nbsp; The battery ran out in my camera!" he told me.&nbsp; "Don't worry about it.&nbsp; My stepmother taped all of the rounds," I told him.&nbsp; I'll get to see most of the mistakes I made that led to me losing.<br /><br />A stray trophy that Alan found on Friday night turned out to be the one that was awarded to Jacob.&nbsp; Colonel got it out of Mary's office, and I placed it in my locker for safekeeping.&nbsp; My locker is officially the catch-all for everything that others leave behind.&nbsp; Speaking of awards:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pztHDFnpXM/ToqbilIlTCI/AAAAAAAAASQ/O2dx4GzhvTc/s1600/Loyola+Park+Sportsmanship+Award+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pztHDFnpXM/ToqbilIlTCI/AAAAAAAAASQ/O2dx4GzhvTc/s320/Loyola+Park+Sportsmanship+Award+2011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the Sportsmanship Award I was given on Friday night.&nbsp; I'm still pleasantly surprised to have received it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g69mlevaQ6I/ToqYB-zmPeI/AAAAAAAAASI/nGQ0eXvITJY/s1600/Alan+and+cop+watch+Kenny+work+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g69mlevaQ6I/ToqYB-zmPeI/AAAAAAAAASI/nGQ0eXvITJY/s320/Alan+and+cop+watch+Kenny+work+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Kenny asked when the next boxing show will be, and Hamlin Park's show is next up on the calendar for this month.&nbsp; I told Alan that Bill wanted me to go over there and fight Meg again.&nbsp; "I don't think you should fight her again this time.&nbsp; It'll be too soon behind the last fight," Alan suggested.&nbsp; I remember when Meg and I fought those two times in 2009, those were practically back-to-back bouts as well.&nbsp; Maybe that was a factor in why I lost the second time.&nbsp; I'd rather not have another fight stopped on me like the last time.&nbsp; But I'd like to have at least one more fight before the Chicago Park District boxing show season ends.&nbsp; Well, maybe I'll wait until December when Brooks has their boxing show and see what happens then.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8191388300001341799?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-53388552296972071012011-09-30T23:51:00.002-05:002011-09-30T23:54:56.871-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lUj_L2tiNQ/ToaQf4XZ3nI/AAAAAAAAARM/-kJls6m_ytk/s1600/Boxing+show+trophies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lUj_L2tiNQ/ToaQf4XZ3nI/AAAAAAAAARM/-kJls6m_ytk/s320/Boxing+show+trophies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Anxiety had been dogging me about tonight's fight at the Loyola Park Boxing Show for most of the week. Alan called me in the middle of the afternoon to say he had fights ready for Jacob and Kenny, but hadn't heard about one for me.&nbsp; I couldn't get upset about the possibility of not having a fight because it's happened too many times before. It's also part of the game.&nbsp; My anxiety eased up a bit.&nbsp; But when I arrived at the field house, Alan informed me, "You're fighting Meg."<br /><br /><i>Oh, snap</i>, I thought to myself.&nbsp; I had already lost to Meg twice in 2009.&nbsp; Before my bout, Alan told me, "Sometimes we get complacent while sparring and training in the gym.&nbsp; But you have to want to win."&nbsp; I didn't want to lose a third time to Meg.&nbsp; But I could not deny that she throws very good and quick punches, and she never lets up.&nbsp; <br /><br />Miriam, my stepmom, Alex, a friend from church, and Lorie, a neighbor from up the street were in the audience.&nbsp; Mike L. also was in attendance, as was Kevin.&nbsp; Miriam taped my fight, and Colonel was also taping.&nbsp; He was perched on top of a ladder in the basketball gym where the ring was set up.&nbsp; Professor, Willie, Tony, and Nate Sr. helped Alan and Barry with the warmups and in the corners.&nbsp; Melissa also saw the fights.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ3RMev9y1o/ToaQs-cPTqI/AAAAAAAAARU/1GCEGW-Vx9w/s1600/Nate+Sr+working+the+corner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ3RMev9y1o/ToaQs-cPTqI/AAAAAAAAARU/1GCEGW-Vx9w/s320/Nate+Sr+working+the+corner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I met a woman whose name I should have gotten. . .she was a fighter, too.&nbsp; She came in the gym with Sean, one of the boxing officials (who's also an author of several books about Chicago boxing).&nbsp; She told me about an all female boxing gym opening up in Westmont soon.&nbsp; They're going to have an open house.&nbsp; I would love to go to check it out.&nbsp; Her and I bemoaned the fact that it's so hard to get fights because of the lack of other female opponents.&nbsp; Just like me, she also spars with guys when she's at her gym.<br /><br />I sang the National Anthem, and then the program began.&nbsp; My bout with Meg was number six.&nbsp; Jacob and Kenny fought later in the evening.&nbsp; My anxiety had died down for the most part once I stepped through the ropes onto the canvas.&nbsp; But once the bell rang, it was all Meg.&nbsp; I took a good four to five straight shots to my face, and a couple of rough uppercuts.&nbsp; One of the uppercuts, which I took in the second round, nearly knocked me down.&nbsp; I stumbled, and cursed to myself, because I know the judges did not miss that.&nbsp; My hands were down too often, and I caught some hooks, too.&nbsp; I grabbed Meg's arms in a vain effort to slow her down, but as soon as the referee called, "Break!" she was back to full speed.<br /><br />The headgear I had on kept slipping.&nbsp; I wish boxers could wear their own headgear during the matches, but it's against the rules.&nbsp; I stopped to adjust it after Meg had knocked it sideways on my head in the middle of the third round.&nbsp; She took advantage of my foolishness and popped me again with a jab. <br /><br />In between rounds, Alan kept telling me I was doing good, but that I had to go get Meg.&nbsp; "You want to win, don't you?" he asked.&nbsp; "Yes," I gasped, but as slow as I was moving, I already knew I was fighting a losing battle.&nbsp; Tony told me to cut the ring off on Meg, and I really tried, but she was too fast.&nbsp; The one time I nearly had her, she immediately threw a barrage of punches, and I had to back out or get knocked out.&nbsp; I lost the match.&nbsp; The referee told me, "You just ran out of gas at the end."&nbsp; "You're very good," I told Meg as we hugged.&nbsp; "You're good, too, lady," she said.<br /><br />Later, I met her three very polite and very cute kids -- two girls and a boy.&nbsp; The boy was bearing a box of cookies.&nbsp; "They always give me cookies after my matches," Meg smiled.&nbsp; Her son shoved the box at me and said, "Have a cookie!"&nbsp; It was so funny, and so thoughtful of them.<br /><br />Bill, Meg's coach, came up to me and asked if I would fight in Hamlin's boxing show in October.&nbsp; "It's so hard to find fights for Meg," he said.&nbsp; Meg told me that she was over forty.&nbsp; Believe me, she doesn't look it.&nbsp; Another guy who complimented Meg and I on our fight thought her and I were kids; he didn't believe either of us were over forty.&nbsp; I told Bill how old I will be on my next birthday, and he said, "That's why I said you were an amazing woman."&nbsp; He told me that when I shook his hand after the match was over. "You're on the computer, you train here, you fight -- you're amazing!" he continued.&nbsp; I told Bill that I would be happy to come fight at Hamlin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0gHTk1tv7s/ToaRRLXBKJI/AAAAAAAAARo/pceiVo8zi4g/s1600/Kenny+and+Professor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0gHTk1tv7s/ToaRRLXBKJI/AAAAAAAAARo/pceiVo8zi4g/s320/Kenny+and+Professor.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The guys had better luck than I.&nbsp; Jacob faced a big guy for his opponent.&nbsp; By the third round, Jacob was tired out.&nbsp; But he got some solid body shots in.&nbsp; I was worried because Jacob seemed to be taking a lot of full on shots to the face from the other guy.&nbsp; Jacob backed off a bit, but he came right back and hung in there.&nbsp; The photo below shows Jacob -- with his winner's trophy -- and his girlfriend talking with Alan.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4xWWTV2wDQ/ToaRAEIBW6I/AAAAAAAAARg/WiOyb0rtFjI/s1600/Jacob+with+his+girlfriend+and+Alan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4xWWTV2wDQ/ToaRAEIBW6I/AAAAAAAAARg/WiOyb0rtFjI/s320/Jacob+with+his+girlfriend+and+Alan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I was busy talking to a lot of people, including my stepmom, Alex, and others, so I missed seeing most of the boys' matches.&nbsp; But Willie's grandson, who's also named Willie, and Gus both won their matches.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrfYMof1goA/ToaQ5vLF0kI/AAAAAAAAARc/TBDKZge-0s4/s1600/Willie+wins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrfYMof1goA/ToaQ5vLF0kI/AAAAAAAAARc/TBDKZge-0s4/s320/Willie+wins.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JB3HbA_x5Po/ToaQlUpkZvI/AAAAAAAAARQ/9tbCm0x4ZDQ/s1600/Gus+the+winner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JB3HbA_x5Po/ToaQlUpkZvI/AAAAAAAAARQ/9tbCm0x4ZDQ/s320/Gus+the+winner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />During Kenny's match, there was a very vocal woman who was cheering for his opponent.&nbsp; "Beat him!&nbsp; Get him now!" she kept yelling.&nbsp; A man next to her was cheering for Kenny.&nbsp; I heard her say in an annoyed tone to that guy, "You can cheer for the red corner (Kenny) if you want, but I'm cheering for the blue corner!"&nbsp; Alan kept telling Kenny, "Don't wait on him!" as Kenny measured his moves against the guy.&nbsp; Kenny was popping the guy with jabs all over the place, and was given the winner's trophy.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tIXvtZJT00U/ToaRIVHDsvI/AAAAAAAAARk/NemcYpy3FGY/s1600/Alan+Tony+and+Kenny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tIXvtZJT00U/ToaRIVHDsvI/AAAAAAAAARk/NemcYpy3FGY/s320/Alan+Tony+and+Kenny.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Eric fought another young man who's also in the Loyola Park youth boxing program.&nbsp; Their fight was classified as an exhibition match, so neither of them were given trophies afterwards.&nbsp; I believe that Eric won.&nbsp; Willie, seen in the photo below, was in Eric's corner.&nbsp; Their match was the last one of the evening.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtzWAJ3sNh4/ToaQ1hFUlZI/AAAAAAAAARY/ZlgYan_u4Zk/s1600/Willie+watches+the+fight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtzWAJ3sNh4/ToaQ1hFUlZI/AAAAAAAAARY/ZlgYan_u4Zk/s320/Willie+watches+the+fight.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Special awards for sportsmanship and most improved boxer are always given after the last match.&nbsp; They are usually given to a couple of the kids.&nbsp; I was distracted, playing around with my camera and looking out for other photo opportunities.&nbsp; Suddenly, I heard my name being called.&nbsp; Barry presented me with the sportsmanship award.&nbsp; I was very surprised.&nbsp; "You deserve it.&nbsp; You've been helping out here for so long," Barry smiled.&nbsp; The award, which is in the shape of a boxing glove, now sits prominently on my desk at home.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FbGU5DvQC5M/ToaRdDiG-yI/AAAAAAAAARw/MQJYeG0nm5g/s1600/Hillari+with+two+awards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FbGU5DvQC5M/ToaRdDiG-yI/AAAAAAAAARw/MQJYeG0nm5g/s320/Hillari+with+two+awards.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My back hurts a little right now.&nbsp; I'm not sure if it's because Meg hit me there, or because I was twisting and turning earlier moving stuff around my apartment.&nbsp; Miriam asked me after my match when I was going to stop fighting.&nbsp; I got a chance to see a playback of what she taped.&nbsp; Meg beat me because she's in much better shape.&nbsp; She's a fire fighter, you know.&nbsp; I'm always struggling to lose weight, plus trying to fight off signs of aging.&nbsp; "I'll probably do a few more this year, then stop competing, and just stick to coaching and working out," I told her.&nbsp; I told Alan the same thing.&nbsp; "You could still do it as long as you're able.&nbsp; You train regularly," he said. Boxing is addictive.&nbsp; I know I'll never give it up completely, but I wonder how easily I'll be able to give up the part where I actually mix it up with others in the ring.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5338855229697207101?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-24534132231283416502011-09-29T12:10:00.000-05:002011-09-29T12:10:01.867-05:00Colonel walked into the gym, clean as the Board of Health.&nbsp; He was wearing a suit jacket and pants with a turtleneck.&nbsp; "Why are you so sharp today?" I asked him.&nbsp; "What are you talking about?&nbsp; I'm sharp every day!" he laughed.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDGI9LQ82SQ/ToSmSzanZ0I/AAAAAAAAARI/4kxNa9WzBzU/s1600/Kenny+Chuck+and+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDGI9LQ82SQ/ToSmSzanZ0I/AAAAAAAAARI/4kxNa9WzBzU/s320/Kenny+Chuck+and+Ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Baia returned; I forgot that she's in school, and she can only make it to the gym once a week.&nbsp; She brought a friend with her, Lynestra (I'll get the name right soon), who will sign up.&nbsp; Ray brought a professional boxer with him named Chuck, who just signed a two year contract to fight.&nbsp; Alan did not come in Wednesday.&nbsp; Rosh Hashannah began that night.&nbsp; He'll come in later on Friday evening for the rest of the boxing show.&nbsp; <br /><br />As usual, there was no sparring because Alan was out.&nbsp; There was still a lot of activity, however.&nbsp; I spent most of the evening training Baia and Lynestra.&nbsp; Professor gave them tips, as well.&nbsp; Kenny and Chuck worked with Ray and Jacob on pads.&nbsp; Kenny told me that I should raise my hooks to the body to catch opponents in the liver and in the ribs.&nbsp; He told Ray and Chuck, "Hillari caught me with one of her body shots once, and my pride kept me from doubling over and yelling @#$&amp;!&nbsp; I wasn't going to let it be known that a female had gotten the best of me."&nbsp; All of us fell out laughing.&nbsp; I thanked Kenny for the tip and made a mental note to remember it for Friday night.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2453413223128341650?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-19769573670841396162011-09-26T23:26:00.000-05:002011-09-26T23:26:10.594-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10PSMR2YV58/ToFKKOaiBrI/AAAAAAAAARA/5mkTbqLlsMk/s1600/Kenny+and+Benjamin+spar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10PSMR2YV58/ToFKKOaiBrI/AAAAAAAAARA/5mkTbqLlsMk/s320/Kenny+and+Benjamin+spar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alan made a list of those in the gym who plan to fight in Loyola Park's Annual Boxing Explosion show this Friday.&nbsp; My name was at the top of the list, followed by Kenny, Jacob, Tony and Ray.&nbsp; "I would say add Oscar, too, but he hasn't been in for awhile," I told Alan.&nbsp; "No, I'm not going to put him in," Alan said.&nbsp; He also decided that Tony shouldn't fight either.&nbsp; Tony sparred with Kenny and Benjamin.&nbsp; He was huffing and puffing badly.&nbsp; It happened too many times before, so Alan told Tony that he couldn't put him in the boxing show mostly for safety reasons.&nbsp; I understand that Tony smokes, which contributes to him not having the wind power while in the ring.&nbsp; <br /><br />Benjamin sparred with Kenny twice.&nbsp; Kenny was the man of the night as he sparred several rounds with Benjamin and Tony, including three rounds with me.&nbsp; "That overhand right you gave rang my bell!&nbsp; You've got to use that and come over the other person's right when you fight," Kenny told me afterwards.&nbsp; Alan added, "Wait until they get closer to throw punches, then dig into them.&nbsp; Hillari, you throw too many punches when they are far away.&nbsp; That's just wasting energy."&nbsp; I guess I think that's a way to keep them from getting in on me.&nbsp; In reality, I'm often leaving myself open so the other person can do some real damage. I've got a few days to get it right before I meet Meg or whomever I will have a fight with on Friday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iNDsta8hOlQ/ToFKDZj-G4I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/2Yy9uKNy10U/s1600/As+Benjamin+and+Tony+spar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iNDsta8hOlQ/ToFKDZj-G4I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/2Yy9uKNy10U/s320/As+Benjamin+and+Tony+spar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Of the women, only Melissa and Amy came in.&nbsp; Sarah was preparing for her daughter's third birthday tomorrow, so she could not make it in tonight.&nbsp; Alan helped Melissa with her form in regards to throwing left and right hooks.&nbsp;<br /><br />Kevin, a bearded guy who rode up to the gym on his bike, also came in.&nbsp; Tony watched him on the heavy bag and asked did he come in regularly.&nbsp; "No, Kevin comes in on and off," I answered.&nbsp; I was trying to remember the last time I saw Kevin, and it might have been sometime back in July.&nbsp; I don't remember seeing Kevin's name on the class roster, but surprisingly, Igor's name was there.&nbsp; But Igor comes in even less than Kevin does.&nbsp; Alan remembered that I told him that Igor did not spar when Steve was the coach.&nbsp; "Igor sparred with Victor the the last time he was here, but Victor wasn't hitting him hard," Alan said. I didn't notice Igor and Victor sparring; they must have been moving around out on the floor, as I don't remember seeing them in the ring.&nbsp; <br /><br />I practiced "The Star Spangled Banner" a little bit today, promising myself that I would sing it quieter, slower and lower than I have in the past at the boxing shows.&nbsp; Too many times, I want to go into Barbra Streisand mode and belt it out.&nbsp; But every song doesn't have to be -- or can be -- belted out.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZaSI8WtqhE/ToFKPQY86qI/AAAAAAAAARE/OXrMo3P0cdc/s1600/Alan+watches+the+action.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZaSI8WtqhE/ToFKPQY86qI/AAAAAAAAARE/OXrMo3P0cdc/s320/Alan+watches+the+action.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Alan told me to do an extra workout tomorrow.&nbsp; I was just thinking that I have to get on the stick about adding extra exercise during the week, especially after watching Olympic boxing hopeful Marlen Esparza's intense workouts on a CNN documentary yesterday.&nbsp; I need to something purely aerobic, but I also need to focus on getting my overhand rights and uppercuts in order, too.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1976957367084139616?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-70660689442485987462011-09-25T22:35:00.000-05:002011-09-25T22:35:36.594-05:00I watched a very good documentary which was part of CNN's "Latino In America" series of reports.&nbsp; It followed a young woman, Marlen Esparza, and her quest to get on the women's Olympic boxing team for 2012.&nbsp; She had the number spot at the Olympic trials until other challenged sued to have a shot.&nbsp; Esparza had to go to Colorado to face the other contenders in the ring.&nbsp; <br /><br />She looked very good in training and during the fights the documentary highlighted.&nbsp; Esparza has some dangerous hooks, and she's a pressure fighter.&nbsp; I was rooting for her to go all the way.&nbsp; Then she lost to Christina Cruz, another Latina.&nbsp; It was the first time Esparza had ever lost a fight, and she had been involved with boxing ever since she was eleven years old.&nbsp; She's now twenty-two years old.&nbsp; She was crying, and I felt bad for her, too.&nbsp; But what can you do after a loss and/or missing out on a fight?&nbsp; I remember Ivy, a fellow member at my church asking me what I was going to do after I was denied an opportunity to have a bout a few years ago.&nbsp; "Go back to the gym and train," I answered.&nbsp; Esparza did the same thing.<br /><br />I was impressed at the way she got up early in the morning to do roadwork, then hit the gym to do drills, spar, and lift weights.&nbsp; She also watched what she ate very carefully.&nbsp; <i>"Wow, I feel like a lazy bum," </i>I thought, comparing her every day training to my twice-a-week efforts and my half-assed attempts at adding a day or two more of exercise outside of the gym.&nbsp; But then, she's going for Olympic gold, and she has to be on top of the game.&nbsp; Esparza had to face Cruz again to get another shot at the Olympic team.&nbsp; "This is a lifestyle for me, but it's a hobby for her", she commented.&nbsp; <br /><br />Esparza is a national amateur champion (six times), and she did beat Cruz the second time they met.&nbsp; I clapped and hopped in my seat.&nbsp; It warms my heart to see women advance in this sport.&nbsp; Gloria Peek, a prominent US Olympic boxing coach who was also in the documentary, commented, "Women have entered the last male stronghold."&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7066068944248598746?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-53963014724435552482011-09-22T20:33:00.000-05:002011-09-22T20:33:23.215-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_0ZhORXBro/Tnvdd9V9luI/AAAAAAAAAQw/MwLFFRVHA30/s1600/Colonel+gives+points+to+Melissa+and+Maggie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_0ZhORXBro/Tnvdd9V9luI/AAAAAAAAAQw/MwLFFRVHA30/s320/Colonel+gives+points+to+Melissa+and+Maggie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Two more new people showed up on Wednesday, and Colonel (the guy in the middle of the above photo) gave them some pointers.&nbsp; Colonel used to train fighters, as well.&nbsp; The woman in the black top is Melissa, and the woman in the blue top is Maggie.&nbsp; I also worked with them on drills that involved catching and countering punches.&nbsp;<br /><br />A few guys who knew Alan from Clarendon came in including Anthony, who went hard on Ray while they were sparring.&nbsp; I was busy coaching Melissa and Maggie, so I didn't see the action.&nbsp; I turned around at the end to see Anthony laying on his back on the canvas.&nbsp; "Anthony was tired.&nbsp; Plus, he smokes," Alan explained.&nbsp; Ray was not expecting Anthony to rush at him, but when he did, he responded in kind.&nbsp; "I thought he was going to take it easy, but when he started banging, I was like 'okay'!&nbsp; Come on, I don't mind getting hit," Ray said.&nbsp; Ray told us about a bad kidney shot he took a long time ago.&nbsp; "I went down on my knee, and took an eight count.&nbsp; When the bell rang to start the next round, I really felt the pain.&nbsp; When I used the washroom later, the stream was like the Red Sea!"<br /><br />I learned the name of another new guy who had been there on Monday: Seth.&nbsp; Seth sparred with Kenny, who loves to use the ropes to rebound off of and explode on an opponent.&nbsp; Seth handled himself well, however, for someone who had not boxed before.<br /><br />Jacob came in, and he was disappointed to learn that the fight on the 23rd had been canceled.&nbsp; He's hoping for something on the 30th, when the Loyola Park show takes place.<br /><br />I sparred with Ralphie.&nbsp; Like Kenny, Ralphie dances around the ring.&nbsp; As usual, I made up my mind not to chase him, mainly because I'm not that fast or quick anymore.&nbsp; I did back him up against the ropes and in the corners a few times.&nbsp; I'm getting a little better at cutting off the ring for an opponent, but it's still not an easy task when someone is good at being a moving target.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WRktXJIkqM/TnvhJqxQpGI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/d9EG8nxR9-c/s1600/Hillari+Amy+and+Sarah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WRktXJIkqM/TnvhJqxQpGI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/d9EG8nxR9-c/s320/Hillari+Amy+and+Sarah.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><i>"Wow, those two really tower over me,"</i> I thought after I got a good look at the photo above.&nbsp; Amy is to the left of me, and her sister Sarah is to the right.&nbsp; I look like a munchkin, don't I?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5396301472443555248?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-40632740996164476772011-09-20T00:36:00.001-05:002011-09-20T00:37:18.746-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Krl4BIs29VM/Tngj1fBB7mI/AAAAAAAAAQk/EPxAy37tPaU/s1600/Alan+coaches+the+newcomers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Krl4BIs29VM/Tngj1fBB7mI/AAAAAAAAAQk/EPxAy37tPaU/s320/Alan+coaches+the+newcomers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kenny was looking forward to the show fight on the 23rd of this month, but Alan got word that show was canceled.&nbsp; Sam told Alan that someone died -- not sure who if the person in question was a promoter or part of the staff of the church where the fight was going to be held -- so the show will not go on.&nbsp; Next up is our annual boxing show, which is next Friday.&nbsp; Alan was concerned that Jacob that did not come in to train since there is a big possibility that Jacob may have a fight at the Loyola Park show.<br /><br />Several newcomers were in the gym, as today was the start of the fall session.&nbsp; Patty and Baia (I'll get the spelling straight) are friends.&nbsp; Patty also knows Jamil, whom I haven't seen in months.&nbsp; Both women stated what is a common chant among most women who come to the gym: "I don't want to spar."&nbsp; Right on cue, I later overheard Alan trying to sweet talk them into trying it. &nbsp; He might not be successful this time.&nbsp; Baia was very adamant about not getting into a situation where she could be knocked out.&nbsp; Patty couldn't wrap her mind around how people can take getting hit during sparring and bouts.&nbsp; Colonel told her that after the first time, people aren't as apprehensive about that because they know it's coming, which is true.&nbsp; Henry and Benjamin were two other new persons.<br /><br />I was surprised to see Igor -- who used to drive Steve nuts back in the day -- waiting outside the gym door.&nbsp; He had a buddy with him named Victor.&nbsp; Alan knew Victor from 15 years ago when Victor used to train under him.&nbsp; Victor is in his late 50s, and he looked to be in great shape.&nbsp; He claimed that he goes back and forth to the Ukraine to box professionally, and that he's won the Ringside championship a few times.&nbsp; Victor walked around with a video camera, catching Igor's workout on tape.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufygP0yqk4I/TngkC_sYR6I/AAAAAAAAAQo/PZXgNV0-ZqM/s1600/Alan%252C+Colonel+and+Ralphie+watch+sparring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufygP0yqk4I/TngkC_sYR6I/AAAAAAAAAQo/PZXgNV0-ZqM/s320/Alan%252C+Colonel+and+Ralphie+watch+sparring.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Benjamin surprised me by jumping into the ring to spar with Kenny.&nbsp; "Might as well since I'm here", was his response when I asked if he was going to spar.&nbsp; It is rare for newcomers to spar the first night they are in the gym.&nbsp; "He doesn't have a mouthpiece", I told Alan.&nbsp; "That's his choice", Alan replied before telling Benjamin to keep his mouth closed while sparring.&nbsp; Henry also sparred with Kenny, so that was a first to see two newcomers take on the challenge of sparring on the first day of a new session.&nbsp; <br /><br />Sarah and I participated in another ring war, but she clearly had the upper hand.&nbsp; She hit me with an uppercut, and I had my mouth open.&nbsp; It stunned me.&nbsp; I backed up in a vain attempt to get some distance and clear my head, but Sarah continued to come forward.&nbsp; A right hook clocked me in the head and got me off balance, as did a few other head shots.&nbsp; "Come on, Hillari!&nbsp; She's just as tired as you!" Alan barked as I started to falter quickly.&nbsp; Every time it got near the end of a round, Alan did a countdown.&nbsp; Maybe it was the hits I took, but I could have sworn I heard him say the number two twice at the end of the third round.<br /><br />Ralphie made a surprise appearance.&nbsp; He's been working and busy with his one-year-old son, which is why he hasn't been in for awhile.&nbsp; "I'm on vacation this week, so maybe I'll come in on Wednesday, too," he said.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDjaHEaNGVQ/TngkyHGi8LI/AAAAAAAAAQs/fn0WbliOsDU/s1600/After+extermination+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDjaHEaNGVQ/TngkyHGi8LI/AAAAAAAAAQs/fn0WbliOsDU/s320/After+extermination+13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The mess pictured above is some of what I had to clean up this past weekend after the exterminators decided they didn't like how I originally moved my things around for them.&nbsp; Fortunately, I was able to get rid of a lot of stuff I didn't need anymore.&nbsp; Unfortunately, there was some damage caused by the exterminators that I didn't catch before.&nbsp; Three of the storage bins I owned had to be tossed due to damage from the heat treatment, and the external speakers I had for my computer are not working.&nbsp; Maybe I shouldn't complain. . .I've only seen a few bed bugs since the treatment, and I zapped them all.&nbsp; Haven't seen any since (crossing my fingers).&nbsp; <br /><br /><span id="goog_784328006"></span><span id="goog_784328007"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-4063274099616447677?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-16493147096505686472011-09-15T17:10:00.000-05:002011-09-15T17:10:22.334-05:00On my way to the gym on Monday, I ran into African Paul.&nbsp; I met him earlier in the summer, and he told me he practices martial arts.&nbsp; When he learned that I box, he said he would be interested in learning some moves.&nbsp; I immediately put him in the acquaintance zone and gave him my number.&nbsp; Too late I realized that he was looking for a girlfriend.&nbsp; I got busy, and didn't have time to return his incessant phone calls.&nbsp; African Paul followed me to the field house, claiming that he wanted to observe what goes on in the gym.&nbsp; <br /><br />I sparred with Kenny, who told me beforehand, "I'ma go hard on your ass, Hillari, because you have a fight coming up."&nbsp; I took some hard side and belly shots from him.&nbsp; I mustered up energy during our last round to answer his punches as powerfully as I could.&nbsp; <br /><br />A tall, very dark complexioned young man walked in the gym and asked Alan, "Do you remember me?"&nbsp; "So many guys come in here, I don't know," Alan said, trying to place his face.&nbsp; "I got my eye hurt in here. . .remember?" the young man said.&nbsp; "I remember you," I said.&nbsp; It was Deo, whose eye socket was cracked by Leon a few years ago during sparring.&nbsp; Deo informed us that he had also had a detached retina from that ordeal, but thankfully, doctors were able to correct it.&nbsp; <br /><br />Against my gut feelings, I let African Paul walk me home instead of taking a ride from Alan.&nbsp; I grew annoyed as he was a bit too touchy-feely for my taste.&nbsp; Then he ran into a bunch of sketchy looking guys whom he called friends, and gave the impression that he and I were an item.&nbsp; "Why haven't you dated in awhile?" he asked.&nbsp; "Because I'm busy," I answered,&nbsp;which is honestly part of the truth.&nbsp; African Paul droned on about his being a recent business school grad and his trying to get an internship.&nbsp; He talked about his male roommates, who also sounded like they participate in some bogus activities.&nbsp; African Paul claimed that he was "saved" and did not do what they do.&nbsp; Then he said something that never fails to raise a red flag for me.<br /><br />He asked me if I had been married before and I answered, "Marriage is not a priority to me these days," which has been true for some time.&nbsp; "When we get married, we'll move into a bigger place," he smiled.&nbsp; We ain't gone on one date, and we never will.&nbsp; I hate when guys won't take hints there's no chance for a relationship, and think they're going to be the exception in some woman's life.&nbsp; The fact that he broke up with an ex-girlfriend only a few months before, and admitted that he's still in touch with her was also a factor in my decision.&nbsp; He angled to get invited up to my apartment, but I left him on the other side of the security gate.&nbsp; <br /><br />"So what happened to the African guy?" Alan asked me yesterday when we were back in the gym.&nbsp; I told about the guy being thirsty -- that is, seemingly desperate to get into another relationship before recovering from the last one, and the marriage thing.&nbsp; "Wow, that guy was moving fast!" Kenny commented.&nbsp; <br /><br />Amy sparred one round with her sister Sarah, then it was my turn in the ring.&nbsp; Amazingly, I finally got around Sarah's long arms.&nbsp; I got in a lot of hooks and dead-on lefts and rights.&nbsp; But Sarah did not back down.&nbsp; She had me against the ropes with flurries and cracks to my eyes and mid-section.&nbsp; Alan was off-sides saying, "Beautiful!&nbsp; Nice!" and giving out loads of instructions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sarah and I participated in three rounds of a good-natured war, engaging in one intense exchange of punches after another.&nbsp; I'm still trying to figure out where my energy came from. <br /><br />Jacob said, "That was the fight of the night," after it was over.&nbsp; Sarah and I both had to sit down for awhile to catch our breaths.&nbsp; "See?&nbsp; You thought you couldn't do three rounds today, and you did," Alan said to me.&nbsp; He told both Sarah and I, "That's the best I've ever seen you two spar."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-1649314709650568647?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-6315661278568636842011-09-08T17:50:00.000-05:002011-09-08T17:50:28.964-05:00My energy has been low all week.&nbsp; I've been running back and forth between my apartment and the house of a couple at my church.&nbsp; The couple is out of town on vacation, and I'm house sitting and taking care of their pet.&nbsp; I also had to prepare my apartment for exterminators who came in yesterday to eliminate the bed bugs.&nbsp; More about that later.<br /><br />Not many of us were in the gym last night:&nbsp; Tommy, Sarah, her sister Amy, Nathaniel, Renee, and Jacob.&nbsp; Nathaniel and Jacob sparred, and once again, Nathaniel's nose became bloody.&nbsp; "I have to learn to keep my hands up," he said afterwards.&nbsp; "Always keep your hands in front of your face, because the first thing most boxers will do is try and throw straight punches to the middle of your face.&nbsp; Bring them back a little by your cheeks to ward off the hooks," I told him.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMmBvWHkvi0/TmlAmrVsEsI/AAAAAAAAAQY/EMnDpIxMP5o/s1600/PICT1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fMmBvWHkvi0/TmlAmrVsEsI/AAAAAAAAAQY/EMnDpIxMP5o/s320/PICT1114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alan decided to get a piece of Jacob next.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fFAMr1cUxAg/TmlA16uR0uI/AAAAAAAAAQc/OT1urWj3wJo/s1600/PICT1119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fFAMr1cUxAg/TmlA16uR0uI/AAAAAAAAAQc/OT1urWj3wJo/s320/PICT1119.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Of the women present, only Sarah was willing to spar.&nbsp; I felt off because of my low energy.&nbsp; Perhaps I could have just gone ahead anyway (most likely going in the ring with Sarah).&nbsp; However, the times that I ignored that "off" feeling, and I went ahead and sparred anyway, I ended up paying for it.&nbsp; Sarah sparred with Alan instead.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89ztcFf65kM/TmlBguXJayI/AAAAAAAAAQg/BivLhvDDmbE/s1600/PICT1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89ztcFf65kM/TmlBguXJayI/AAAAAAAAAQg/BivLhvDDmbE/s320/PICT1124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I didn't do much of a workout last night.&nbsp; But I was suddenly animated while Sarah sparred with the coach.&nbsp; "Watch out for that sneaky left!" I told Sarah, when I saw Alan throw his patented underhanded jab a few times.&nbsp; It looked like she was giving him some soft punches at one point.&nbsp; "Hit him harder.&nbsp; He can take it!" I said to her.&nbsp; Alan popped her with more than a few jabs, rights, and hooks.&nbsp; But Sarah hung in there with him, backing the coach up a few times against the ropes.&nbsp; <br /><br />Alan talked to Mary about changing the date of the upcoming boxing show.&nbsp; He can't be there because the date of the show falls during Rosh Hashanah.&nbsp; "I never change the date of the show," Mary said, and she explained that was because of other Park District and Loyola Park field house activities that go on around and immediately after the boxing show.&nbsp; Alan joked, "You've never had two Jews coaching at one time," referring not only to himself, but Barry as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary said Barry doesn't have a problem with being there during the show, so Alan said that he'll take off that evening.&nbsp; "If you had told me four months ago, we might have been able to reschedule, but. . . next time, tell me in advance," Mary smiled.&nbsp; <br /><br />When Alan dropped me off at my apartment, he told me to be careful walking back over to the house of my friends who are out of town.&nbsp; "I'll carry my brass knuckles," I joked, but I've been keeping them at home.&nbsp; I'm still irritated about having the last pair taken from me at the Daley Center.&nbsp; Yeah, I admit it was stupid of me to take an illegal weapon down to the courthouse (I had forgot to take them out of my purse).&nbsp; But that was a good pair.&nbsp; Luckily, I was able to get another set.&nbsp; Alan showed me a baton that he carries around.&nbsp; "I thought those were illegal in Illinois like brass knuckles are," I said.&nbsp; "No, they're not.&nbsp; You can get them online," Alan said.&nbsp; I made a note to surf the 'Net to find some.<br /><br />I get inside my apartment, and the first thing I notice is that my TV was gone.&nbsp; I've had a TV stolen from me before, twenty-one years ago, during a break-in that happened when I was out of town.&nbsp; I took "after" pictures of how the exterminators had moved things around, while trying not to explode in anger.&nbsp; I called the management company and the maintenance guy and left angry, but controlled voice messages.&nbsp; In other words, I used no curse words, and I didn't yell.&nbsp; Further proof that I must be getting old.&nbsp; I was two seconds off of calling the police when the maintenance guy called back to say, "We moved your TV and a box containing albums and 45's to an empty apartment so they wouldn't get damaged by the heat treatment."&nbsp; Okay, that solved that.&nbsp; But, come on. . .they couldn't have left me a note to that effect?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-631566127856863684?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-24159244377582752462011-09-02T00:09:00.000-05:002011-09-02T00:09:23.098-05:00I had been running all day long. . .trying to figure out how to move stuff around my apartment so the exterminators who are coming next week can do their job (the task is a headache), taking the contents of my piggy bank to deposit in the bank (it is worth it to save your change), picking up my notary public commission (after having waited since May for it to be processed). Then it was off to Eckhart Park for another Chicago Park District boxing show.<br /><br />I packed my gear, but I figured I'd come up empty-handed when it came to being matched up.&nbsp; I was right.&nbsp; Oscar came in a little after the weigh-in was over, but there were people his weight for him to fight.&nbsp; But I think the official verdict was that they were too young for Oscar to fight.&nbsp; Kenny was more fortunate, as he did get a fight.&nbsp; Arturo, one of the coaches, gave Alan passbooks created by the Park District for Kenny and I to fill out.&nbsp; This is something new that has been introduced.&nbsp; I understand the coaches and officials are concerned about people fabricating the amount of fights they've had.&nbsp; I know I fought Meg from Hamlin twice, but I could not remember in which field houses those fights took place.&nbsp; I'll have to scroll back through the entries in this blog to figure it out. &nbsp; <br /><br />Sarah and Amy arrived a little before the first bout began, and they were happy to learn that Kenny had gotten a fight.&nbsp; I helped Alan in the corner.&nbsp; Kenny's opponent was a somewhat muscular guy in his early twenties.&nbsp; The windows were open in the gym, but no air was stirring.&nbsp; One large floor fan, off on the other side of the room, was working, but it wasn't enough to cool the room down.&nbsp; "I don't want to sound like I'm continually complaining, but it's hot in here.&nbsp;&nbsp; I wouldn't want to fight in this heat," Alan said.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-c3f82e32fda496e5" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v10.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dc3f82e32fda496e5%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D66180488CEDF3496894CA8492A5F0BC7A141634B.76D17794175E608B35F81A360B6EB5548AC461EC%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dc3f82e32fda496e5%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dw70964Swp8R8O6ZaKmZ-3DxeYV8&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v10.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dc3f82e32fda496e5%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D66180488CEDF3496894CA8492A5F0BC7A141634B.76D17794175E608B35F81A360B6EB5548AC461EC%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dc3f82e32fda496e5%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dw70964Swp8R8O6ZaKmZ-3DxeYV8&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Here is a portion of the last round.&nbsp; I thought I had gotten Alan talking to Kenny immediately afterwards, as well as Kenny's arm being raised in victory.&nbsp; As you can see, the camera goes out of focus -- I was helping to take Kenny's gloves off as that happened -- and it cuts off after that.&nbsp; Kenny's opponent won the first round, but then Kenny got the best of him by out-punching the guy.&nbsp; Sarah commented, "He used the uppercut on the guy that he showed us in the gym last night!"&nbsp; <br /><br />Bill told Alan and I that he would bring Meg over to the Loyola show later this month as an opponent for me.&nbsp; He mentioned that she hasn't been training much at Hamlin.&nbsp; I remembered seeing a news report months ago about her showing she also trains at the firehouse where she works, so she's probably getting workouts in there.&nbsp; <br /><br />Eckhart's boxing show was one of the shortest ones I've attended.&nbsp; It was over in an hour.&nbsp; Just as well, considering how hot and dry it was.&nbsp; Today's temperature was in the 90s, but it felt good when we all got back outside.&nbsp; Sarah and Amy gave me a ride home.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2415924437758275246?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-44953707398667343282011-08-31T23:26:00.000-05:002011-08-31T23:26:26.728-05:00Alan had to attend a job function, so he was not in the gym this evening.&nbsp; In attendance were Jesus, Oscar, Kenny, Amy, Sarah, and Jacob.&nbsp; There's a boxing show tomorrow at Eckhart Park; neither Jesus, Sarah or Amy wanted a match.&nbsp; Kenny and Oscar plan to fight, but Jacob will let Alan know if he can later on.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-li_q6yxEQrM/Tl8GYhKMVOI/AAAAAAAAAQU/LSG1dy2eGHM/s1600/Lockers+at+Loyola+boxing+gym.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-li_q6yxEQrM/Tl8GYhKMVOI/AAAAAAAAAQU/LSG1dy2eGHM/s320/Lockers+at+Loyola+boxing+gym.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Taylor Park will hold the next Chicago Park District boxing show, but Loyola Park's, which follows Taylor's show, may have to be postponed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Alan checked the calendar and noticed Loyola's show takes place during Rosh Hashanah.&nbsp; That means neither he or Barry would be able to attend.&nbsp; He let Mary know, but she said they'll discuss it later on.&nbsp; <br /><br />One looky-loo came by, a woman who had walked into the gym Monday.&nbsp; She didn't ask any questions then, and tonight, she peeked in briefly.&nbsp; Ramon, who used to train regularly in the youth program, came in with another guy who also was in the youth program, but briefly.&nbsp; Ramon told me that he'd like to participate in the Loyola Boxing show, but he's been out of the gym for three months.&nbsp; Barry told him he'd have to train for several weeks in order to be in the show.&nbsp; I held pads for Ramon's friend, who nearly blacked my right eye when he missed a shot.&nbsp;<br /><br />Kenny and Jacob took turns holding pads for each other.&nbsp; Then Kenny alternated between holding pads for myself and Sarah.&nbsp; Kenny had me do jab-right-slip right-slip left-duck-straight right-left hook a few times.&nbsp; I thought it was a good combination.&nbsp; After we were done, I practiced that in the mirror.&nbsp; <br /><br />Overall, I felt I really got in a good workout.&nbsp; Usually, I don't drink all of the water I carry in a bottle to the gym, but I did tonight.&nbsp; I must have really been working.&nbsp; But then I need to get back to drinking a lot of water anyway.&nbsp; I've kind of fell down on the job over the past two to three years in regards to making sure I get my eight glasses in every day.&nbsp; It was easier when I had a full-time job.&nbsp; I kept a water bottle on my desk, so that was a constant reminder not only to drink it but to keep it full.&nbsp; But since I was laid off, I've fallen out of the habit.&nbsp; I brought another couple of diet planners, so that's an extra incentive to keep track of my water intake, as well as how much food I shovel in from day to day.&nbsp; <br /><br />I was talking with Rachel, who is Aaron's (the church's custodian) wife earlier today.&nbsp; I told her about how I box.&nbsp; "I couldn't do that (boxing).&nbsp; I'd not want anyone to have to call 911 on account of me hurting them," she laughed.&nbsp; When Alan often accuses me of not hitting someone hard enough, I now realize it's usually because I like the person whom I'm sparring.&nbsp; I don't want to send them to the hospital.&nbsp; I told Rachel it's easier for me to go extra hard in an actual match because I usually didn't know my opponent before we got into the ring.&nbsp; But even in that case, I still don't want to seriously hurt someone, even though I want to win.&nbsp; I don't think guys who box have that problem at all, even if their opponent is a buddy of theirs.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-4495370739866734328?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-33142176770618280702011-08-30T00:46:00.000-05:002011-08-30T00:46:31.785-05:00There was a small crowd in the gym on Monday night.&nbsp; A guy came in with his five year old son; he just picked up the gloves and started hitting the bags.&nbsp; I assumed Alan gave him the go-ahead because he didn't say anything to the guy when he saw him.&nbsp; The guy ended up working the pads with Jesus later in the evening.&nbsp; At the end of the night, the guy complimented me on my sparring.&nbsp; <br /><br />Renee and I sparred first.&nbsp; She got me a a couple of good body shots, and I kept aiming at her head, since she's not much taller than I am.&nbsp; Renee was done after the first round, because she was gassed out.<br /><br />Alan and I did the next two rounds, and he had no headgear on.&nbsp; He didn't really need it.&nbsp; I kept laughing because he kept getting me with sneaky punches.&nbsp; He was laughing, too.&nbsp; However, I managed to avoid taking another kidney shot from him.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qpK66iSiBo/Tlx2GJroZ1I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/Jjr06B2oyio/s1600/Nathaniel+vs+Jimmy+as+Alan+watches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qpK66iSiBo/Tlx2GJroZ1I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/Jjr06B2oyio/s320/Nathaniel+vs+Jimmy+as+Alan+watches.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Jimmy (wearing the orange shorts in the photo above) sparred with Nathaniel (in the red shorts).&nbsp; Alan is seen watching the action.&nbsp; Once again, another spectacular punch took place while my back was turned.&nbsp; Jimmy punched Nathaniel in the nose; Nathaniel was bleeding.&nbsp; Some of his blood was on the canvas, and I had to wash off one of the water bottles, because some of it had splashed on there, too.&nbsp; He was okay, but he told me that his nose was hurting like hell.&nbsp; "I'll be going to bed early tonight," he smiled.<br /><br />Alan noticed that Jesus had not sparred.&nbsp; "Do you want to spar?" he asked, and Jesus looked around the room to see with whom he could spar.&nbsp; "Don't look around; it doesn't matter," Alan told him.&nbsp; I agreed to get back into the ring with Jesus.&nbsp; "Really hit him because he has to learn to hit back," Alan told me before the bell for the first round rang.&nbsp; While I was in there, Alan told Jesus, "Hit her!&nbsp; It's okay!"&nbsp; Before the second round, Sarah suggested that I end my combinations with my left.&nbsp; I took her advice, and it worked more times than not.&nbsp; <br /><br />I saw Ray this past Saturday.&nbsp; He's a barber at Clippers and Shears, and I went to have my hair cut by him.&nbsp; Ray would have gone to Harrison Park last week, but the man fell ill that evening and couldn't make it in.&nbsp; Hopefully, he'll come in on Wednesday.&nbsp; Eckhart Park is having their boxing show this Thursday, and maybe Ray could get a fight there. By the way, he cuts hair very well.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3314217677061828070?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-68768409947946946702011-08-26T00:22:00.000-05:002011-08-26T00:22:09.333-05:00I packed my boxing gear to take to Harrison Park Thursday evening, but I knew there wouldn't be a match for me.&nbsp; Alan, Kenny, Colonel, Ursula, Renee, and Uvee (a friend of Ursula and Renee) were standing in the back of the gym at that field house before the matches took place.&nbsp; Alan pointed out a female fighter who was dressed and ready nearby.&nbsp; "There you go," he told me.&nbsp; "She looks like she's no more than fourteen years old!" I exclaimed.&nbsp; "But she's your height," Alan grinned.<br /><br />That boxing show was also the second one I attended where the singer who did the National Anthem mangled it.&nbsp; They knew all the words.&nbsp; The problem was staying on key.&nbsp; I felt bad for them when I heard the widespread snickering in the crowd, especially when she tried to hit the high notes.&nbsp; "That was no comparison to you, Hillari," Alan said, referring to the times I sang the song before Loyola's boxing shows.<br /><br />The best bout of the night was between two young women.&nbsp; Alan and Kenny pointed the taller woman out to me as she warmed up before the fight.&nbsp; "Check out how she throws punches," they told me.&nbsp; She was working those pads like a job.&nbsp; I was impressed.&nbsp; When the bell rang to open the first round, she dashed on her opponent with a fierceness.&nbsp; There were body blows galore.&nbsp; But in the second round, her opponent -- who was shorter and appeared to be heavier -- got revenge.&nbsp; The shorter woman popped the taller woman in the face with a right.&nbsp; The referee gave the taller woman an eight count.&nbsp; They resumed their pummeling of each other, but the shorter woman bopped her opponent in the face with jabs six or seven times in a row.&nbsp; The crowd was hyped up, cheering and clapping their approval.&nbsp; The taller woman ended up receiving another eight count.&nbsp; The women continued their war until the bell ended the last round, and the shorter woman won.&nbsp; I believe she was fighting for Hamlin Park.<br /><br />Kenny almost got a fight, but the matchmakers decided the guy was too young for Kenny to get in the ring with.&nbsp; That guy ended up winning his match against an opponent who did not follow the "be first" rule and allowed the guy to get the drop on him.&nbsp; Oscar did not show up in time, so he missed out on getting a fight when the weigh-in period ended. &nbsp; <br /><br />Kenny, Colonel, and Alan left early, but the rest of us stayed to the end.&nbsp; Then we went to eat at Kopi Cafe, a place that I've passed by for years, but had never been inside.&nbsp; It was a cool place, and the Mexican hot chocolate I had was delicious.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-6876840994794694670?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-76715616358065232562011-08-25T01:23:00.000-05:002011-08-25T01:23:39.420-05:00I was on my way to the gym, when I saw two of my neighbors, Eric and Michael.&nbsp; They walked down to the field house with me, but Michael didn't want to go inside.&nbsp; Eric was curious about the gym, so he came in.&nbsp; "So this is your spot," he said.&nbsp; I introduced him to Alan, who gave him some curious looks.&nbsp; Later, the coach asked, "Is that guy a little wacky?"&nbsp; "Yeah, but in a good way," I answered.&nbsp; I told him that Eric is a bodybuilder who is always giving me free passes to XSport Gym, where he trains.&nbsp; "He looks like he lifts weights," Alan commented.&nbsp; Eric walked into the field house with no shoes on, and his shirt off.<br /><br />Amy sparred for the first time Wednesday night with her sister Sarah.&nbsp; I got some of the action on video, but unfortunately, the battery in my camera went out.&nbsp; I cursed to myself when I couldn't find any batteries in my gym bag, but here is what I got:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-8258d3e01f91de3" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v24.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D08258d3e01f91de3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D80AE08052E4C8D92344277104F42D5C49662C622.846FC2FCA0C356753615DC6C929558ABDA45E268%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D8258d3e01f91de3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3De2qCPpApSqVnGTv9gwzDALYB8t0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v24.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D08258d3e01f91de3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D80AE08052E4C8D92344277104F42D5C49662C622.846FC2FCA0C356753615DC6C929558ABDA45E268%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D8258d3e01f91de3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3De2qCPpApSqVnGTv9gwzDALYB8t0&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Amy told me that her arms got very tired after awhile, and that she turned away from her sister perhaps a little too much.&nbsp; I told her that she'd get used to holding her arms up after awhile.<br /><br />I sparred with Sarah afterwards, and we had several good exchanges.&nbsp; I mainly kept going for the body (despite Alan constantly telling me to go for her head and use my hooks), and Sarah mostly aimed for my head.&nbsp; I pinned her arms to slow down the onslaught of punches; Alan called "Break!" several times during the three rounds we did.&nbsp; The both of us were worn down at the end of the sparring session.&nbsp; As Sarah and I stepped out of the ring, Professor -- who was going in the ring with Jacob -- commented, "I think a fight broke out!"&nbsp;<br /><br />Sarah and I were worn out.&nbsp; She was sitting in a corner, and I was sitting in front of the lockers for a few rounds in order to regain strength.&nbsp; Alan told Sarah that he doesn't give instructions to her while she's sparring because he knows she can't hear it through the headgear and other noise in the room.&nbsp; Sarah is hearing-impaired, and she wears hearing aids.&nbsp; "I was wondering if you were giving Hillari instructions," she said to him.&nbsp; "All the time, but Hillari listens to me sometimes, and sometimes she doesn't," he said, which is true.&nbsp; Alan told Sarah that she has a good height advantage over me.&nbsp; <br /><br />Ray took on Oscar first in sparring, then Jesus.&nbsp; Oscar was floating jabs towards Ray that connected a majority of the time.&nbsp; But Jesus acted as if he was nervous about hitting Ray.&nbsp; Ray did not return punches, but encouraged Jesus to practice punches on him.&nbsp; "Hit me hard.&nbsp; I can take it!" he told Jesus.&nbsp;<br /><br />There was an injury that I didn't see first hand.&nbsp; Professor took a hard hit to his mid-section from Jacob during the time they sparred.&nbsp; By the time I turned around -- I was on one of the heavy bags -- Professor was down on one knee, trying to catch his breath.&nbsp; "You can shake that off," Ray said.&nbsp; "Beautiful punch.&nbsp; It was perfect," Alan pointed out.&nbsp; Professor was okay after a few moments.&nbsp; <br /><br />Jacob could have had a fight at Harrison Park tomorrow, but unfortunately, he has to work late.&nbsp; Alan had one lined up for him.&nbsp; As of right now, Kenny and Ray plan to fight at that boxing tournament if they can get matches.&nbsp; Alan told me to bring my gear, but there's a big possibility that I won't get a fight.&nbsp; I don't remember there being any female fighters at Harrison, but some may show up from other field houses.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7671561635806523256?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-53736732339017183602011-08-23T00:34:00.000-05:002011-08-23T00:34:00.823-05:00As usual when we're in the break time between sessions, the crowds thin out a little.&nbsp; Professor came in briefly, sparred with Kenny, then left.&nbsp; Colonel was in for a minute, too, then he departed.&nbsp; Amy and Renee were there, but neither wanted to spar.&nbsp; Amy had planned to spar with her sister Sarah, but her sister didn't come in, so Amy said she'd wait until Wednesday.&nbsp; Nathaniel and Jesus both sparred with Kenny, who gave them tips on how to improve their game.&nbsp;<br /><br />Alan and I sparred, which we hadn't done in a long time.&nbsp; I was proud of myself for catching several of his underhanded jabs before they connected.&nbsp; I also cracked him with a few hooks, an uppercut, and some rights.&nbsp; He got me with something, and I slipped, fell, and rolled backwards.&nbsp; He had to help me up off of the canvas.&nbsp; Then Alan figured out that he could catch me with body shots, and he used them often.&nbsp; I covered up against one shot coming in, but did not anticipate there would be a kidney shot behind it.&nbsp; "Oof!" I went, as I covered up too late and backed up.&nbsp; I came to a stop near the ropes and went "Ohh!"&nbsp; <br /><br />I haven't taken very many body shots over the years.&nbsp; I remember Carlos gave me one that darn near stopped me a couple of years ago.&nbsp; Amanda got in some when we sparred several weeks ago.&nbsp; My head usually takes the brunt of the punishment.&nbsp; I think I'd rather go with the head shots, because I can (mostly) shake those off.&nbsp; Body shots aren't easy to work past.&nbsp; "Are you okay?" Alan said, after he rushed over to hug me as I leaned on the ropes.&nbsp; "I'm okay", I said, but it was a few seconds before the action continued.&nbsp; I managed to finish out that round, which was my third.<br /><br />After several minutes, Alan asked me again if I was okay, which he always does.&nbsp; "I'll really feel it two days from now, and wonder why I'm in pain.&nbsp; Then I'll remember: 'Alan hit me!'" I laughed.&nbsp; <br /><br />Alan mentioned that he had his ribs broken during a match, but he continued on.&nbsp; I believe that was the fight that Alan took on when he was in his late 40s; at the time, he hadn't been in a boxing match since he was in his mid twenties. He had gotten the fight based on a casual conversation he had with Johnny B., who's a local fight promoter.&nbsp; "What in the world made you take on that fight at that time?" Kenny asked.&nbsp; Alan shook his head and said he figured he was up for it.<br /><br />Kenny talked about fighting guys in their 50s who were still trying to be slick in the ring.&nbsp; "Once people get that old, they have to realize they can't do that slick stuff they were doing 30 years ago," he pointed out.&nbsp; <i>Don't I know it,</i> I thought to myself.&nbsp; When I first started to box, I could move around the ring a lot better and faster than I do now.&nbsp; I remember sparring for four and five rounds at a time.&nbsp; But that was ten years ago.&nbsp;<br /><br />I remembered that Monday would have been my younger brother's birthday.&nbsp; He passed away from heart failure at age twenty-two. He was not a big sports fan, even though our late dad tried to get him interested (mostly in baseball and football).&nbsp; Baby brother may have thought I was a nut for fighting, but he might have cheered me on anyway, telling people, "She used to beat me up when we were kids."<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5373673233901718360?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-6614161195112615762011-08-18T00:46:00.002-05:002011-08-18T00:49:27.910-05:00The ring is fixed.&nbsp; The ropes are back up, and everybody hopes they stay that way for awhile.&nbsp; When I got to the field house Wednesday evening, Colonel asked me to help ask a staff person to get some soap and water so he could clean the ring canvas.&nbsp; Cynthia and Mary found some cleaner, and Colonel mopped the canvas.&nbsp; It really needed it.&nbsp; Alan went over it with paper towels to make sure it dried up.<br /><br />I was feeling up with energy, but that disappeared halfway into another sparring session with Sarah.&nbsp; My hands stayed up so my head didn't take much damage.&nbsp; But I was huffing and puffing like a big dog.&nbsp; We stopped after two rounds.&nbsp; "I've seen you tired before, Hillari, but never like that.&nbsp; Why?" Alan asked afterwards.&nbsp; "It's a combination of things," I told him.<br /><br />The day before, I had to get a checkup in order for the doctor to refill my prescriptions.&nbsp;&nbsp; My meds ran out a couple of weeks ago, but the clinic couldn't give me an appointment sooner.&nbsp; The scale read 197 pounds.&nbsp; <i>That can't be right,</i> I thought to myself.&nbsp; I had left my shoes on, and I was wearing a hat when I stepped on the scale.&nbsp; I assumed those added the extra weight.&nbsp; The doctor looked at my chart, and he told me that I need to lose weight (which by now is a broken record phrase; I hear it each time I see a doctor).&nbsp; "The blood pressure is a little too high, too," he announced.&nbsp; My left foot is swollen,&nbsp; a condition which has happened on and off for years.&nbsp; The doctors I've seen over the years have always been concerned about it, but they've haven't recommended much as to how to stop it.&nbsp; I have noticed that the high blood pressure meds help keep the swelling down.&nbsp; My late sister used to tell me that she thought the swelling had something to do with my heart.&nbsp; Now my right foot swells up from time to time, too, but never like the left foot, which looks like a brick right now.&nbsp; <br /><br />As the doctor went on with his light admonishment, I felt a little like Dad used to feel when doctors told him to pay attention to his health.&nbsp; My late father would get on the outside of the doctor's office and grumble about how the doctor didn't know anything.&nbsp; I couldn't really grumble.&nbsp; The weight gain is no doubt the effect of me not cooking 95% of the time and eating out.&nbsp; I also didn't exactly take the doctor's suggestion from my last visit to add more days of exercise, other than the couple of days I go to Loyola Park.&nbsp; Oh, I've made attempts this year, but I've also made excuses:&nbsp; it's too hot, I'm tired, I'm busy doing something else, etc.<br /><br />Ray and his friend Colette couldn't believe what the doctor said about my weight gain.&nbsp; Neither could Alan.&nbsp; "I don't see it," Ray said.&nbsp; I explained how my poor cooking skills probably contributed to the pounds creeping up on me.&nbsp; "I could see if he said a few pounds," Ray continued, "but fourteen in such a short period of time?" "It's also probably hormonal stuff due to menopause," I said, remembering an article I read about menopause weight gain not long ago.&nbsp; "But, still, you move around in here every week," Alan said.<br /><br />"Eh, I'm fighting age, too," I said.&nbsp; Ray looked at both Alan and I.&nbsp; "Don't start that 'age' shit.&nbsp; Come on, now," he said.&nbsp; "You're right.&nbsp; I need to stop bringing that up," I agreed with him.&nbsp; I'm still well enough to come down to the gym and bang on people and get banged on, so I can't be too far gone.&nbsp; "You and Alan last longer than some younger people I know.&nbsp; I've seen 17 and 18 year old guys give up after just 30 seconds in the ring," Ray said.&nbsp; While Alan was sparring with Jacob earlier, I overheard Ray praising Alan to Marcus about the older man's skills in the ring.<br /><br />Alan backed Jacob into a corner, and threw a flurry of punches.&nbsp; Jacob's head gear flew off his head and out of the ring, but Jacob kept answering Alan's punches.&nbsp; Sarah and I were suited up, waiting for our turn to spar, and our mouths flew wide open.&nbsp; Ray put Jacob's head gear back on.&nbsp; "Hell, yeah!&nbsp; That's what I'm talking about!&nbsp; The gear came off, but that didn't stop him from fighting!&nbsp; That's right!" Ray exclaimed.&nbsp; "My goodness!" I said in amazement, then I started laughing.&nbsp; I was still laughing just before the bell rang to start the first round between Sarah and I. &nbsp; <br /><br />Amy plans to spar on Monday.&nbsp; She was waiting for the ring to be fixed because she didn't want to spar without the ropes being back up.&nbsp; I don't blame her.&nbsp; It was hard going trying to spar and watch out for the downed ropes at the same time.&nbsp; "All she needs is a mouthpiece, and she'll have that by next week," her sister Sarah smiled. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-949e03cacfde1afa" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D949e03cacfde1afa%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4C18ADED55CD7E173F2ED7AE8717C07A8657F1A3.44349DC1DCED6E667494669F9B2E836CBEB04990%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D949e03cacfde1afa%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DsgNdnykx1KIu3-_9Mog-QnmK6Zk&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D949e03cacfde1afa%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4C18ADED55CD7E173F2ED7AE8717C07A8657F1A3.44349DC1DCED6E667494669F9B2E836CBEB04990%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D949e03cacfde1afa%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DsgNdnykx1KIu3-_9Mog-QnmK6Zk&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />The clip above is a very short portion of a round between Marcus and Oscar (Oscar is the shorter guy).&nbsp; Unfortunately, the card on my camera ran out of room, so I didn't get it all.&nbsp; Marcus did two rounds with Oscar.&nbsp; He was getting hit a lot because his hands were down.&nbsp; Also, Oscar had a lot of energy that evening, as he danced around and away from most of Marcus' punches.&nbsp; But I have to give Marcus a 'A' for effort because he soldiered on during the rounds. &nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-661416119511261576?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-26706508341444587782011-08-15T23:47:00.001-05:002011-08-15T23:49:44.010-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkAihAYCK7s/TknsuQClx6I/AAAAAAAAAQI/1SLmW5jkh5E/s1600/Ringside+2006+banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkAihAYCK7s/TknsuQClx6I/AAAAAAAAAQI/1SLmW5jkh5E/s320/Ringside+2006+banner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Kenny and his dad, Colonel, brought in two Jiu-Jitsu/Muay Thai fighters they know, guys named Nino and Frankie.&nbsp; Kenny explained that while both are good MMA fighters, they needed work on their punches.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-f9809db90e99c940" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v17.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Df9809db90e99c940%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3EFF18D026770AF8173BB674F2436481A90DB072.38AFEB33C06510506737316BCAF4F324BE2486B9%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Df9809db90e99c940%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DOnP1AFTq4Fi6c4h9sp9ES0rETik&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v17.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Df9809db90e99c940%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3EFF18D026770AF8173BB674F2436481A90DB072.38AFEB33C06510506737316BCAF4F324BE2486B9%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Df9809db90e99c940%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DOnP1AFTq4Fi6c4h9sp9ES0rETik&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Both Nino and Frankie worked with Kenny inside the ring..&nbsp; The clip above shows a round between Kenny and Frankie.&nbsp; Later, Nino and Frankie worked together on their MMA moves, and they were good.&nbsp; Some of those kicks were really exciting to see.&nbsp; <br /><br />I asked Kenny about throwing uppercuts; I seldom have success in getting any off.&nbsp; He told me that I have to be very close on the inside in order to throw them on someone who is taller than I.&nbsp; Also, he pointed out that throwing overhands rights at someone who's taller than I is not that effective.&nbsp; Usually, I'm able to pop their shoulder, and that's it (although, I remember landing good ones on Eric and Alan).&nbsp; Those work better if I'm roughly the same height as my opponent.&nbsp; Problem is, I don't often spar with people who are as short as I.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NC4yVeaHrqM/Tkns0uHViQI/AAAAAAAAAQM/aJ2KwYME8fE/s1600/Alan+and+Frankie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NC4yVeaHrqM/Tkns0uHViQI/AAAAAAAAAQM/aJ2KwYME8fE/s320/Alan+and+Frankie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Speaking of which, I was sparring with Sarah again, and I was gassed out before the first round ended.&nbsp; Alan kept telling me to keep my hands up and to "go from the body to the head".&nbsp; I just couldn't do it.&nbsp; Sarah's punches kept bouncing off of my head like a series of Wham-O Super Balls.&nbsp; She popped me in my mid-section a couple of times, too, and I was not prepared either time.&nbsp; Wishing for the bell to ring in order for the round to end is self-defeating self-talk, but I was relieved each time it did.&nbsp; The last round ended fast because Sarah briefly lost one of her contacts.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-6f6138428fdcfcb3" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D6f6138428fdcfcb3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D1989B70B202BE988EF715276673F8191079FA72A.2C7CDD9FE6AE721BFE7757A9D1E439E9F7677CF9%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D6f6138428fdcfcb3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D8c4XKcw3ugWjJduGuqi2ZX-RkYw&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D6f6138428fdcfcb3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D1989B70B202BE988EF715276673F8191079FA72A.2C7CDD9FE6AE721BFE7757A9D1E439E9F7677CF9%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D6f6138428fdcfcb3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D8c4XKcw3ugWjJduGuqi2ZX-RkYw&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br /><br />"You were really tired today," Alan grinned afterwards.&nbsp; Over the past several days, there have been many times where I've struggled to keep my eyes open.&nbsp; I have not been sleeping well at all.&nbsp; If I get three hours of sleep a day, I'm doing good.<br /><br />Alan said that we're going to Harrison Park's boxing show on the 25th of this month.&nbsp; I haven't been up there in awhile.&nbsp; It's a fairly new field house with a beautiful swimming pool inside.&nbsp; Hopefully, they'll be enough fights for everyone to take part in.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2670650834144458778?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-38881112380411572282011-08-11T01:12:00.001-05:002011-08-11T01:15:04.369-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGvpFLzZl4c/TkNZrOEK1ZI/AAAAAAAAAQE/d6ESh4xUxKw/s1600/Viva+Mexico+fight+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGvpFLzZl4c/TkNZrOEK1ZI/AAAAAAAAAQE/d6ESh4xUxKw/s320/Viva+Mexico+fight+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Earlier at work on Wednesday morning, I eased myself into a chair in Pastor Roger's office.&nbsp; "Have you ever had one of those days when you feel. . .", I began.&nbsp; "Old?" he said.&nbsp; "Like you feel every bit of what age you are?" I asked.&nbsp; Pastor went on to talk about a friend of his who went to the doctor with complaints.&nbsp; The friend said that ever since he turned 40 years of age, he'd been feeling aches, pains, and other woes.&nbsp; The doctor pointed out that the friend was forty years old.&nbsp; "See Aaron, this is what you have to look forward to," Pastor laughed.&nbsp; Aaron is 23 years old, he was also in Pastor's office, and he was chuckling.&nbsp; "Yep, and each time you go to the doctor after that age, it appears they find something else wrong," I said.<br /><br />Sarah and I sparred later in the evening, and I was just not on point.&nbsp; I kept standing in one spot and taking her punches, I wasn't returning as many as I should, and I kept letting my hands drop.&nbsp; I truly felt like an old woman.&nbsp; When I saw Jimmy in the park yesterday -- he was working at his dad's hot dog stand -- he commented, "I saw you in the ring with that tall girl before.&nbsp; I don't know how you manage."&nbsp; Right before stepping inside the ring, I practiced a combination of ducking, stepping in and throwing a right to the body, followed by a left hook to the body.&nbsp; Only twice did I manage to get that in during sparring.&nbsp; "If you can't dance away from her, then walk around, but don't be a punching bag.&nbsp; And move your head," Alan told me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-fb599ca90e1a0978" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dfb599ca90e1a0978%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D34ABC924635419E531B9C5EB29C452E470B7A36A.837DF04A55193387A03FAF8C011E500D4D6AA8F4%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dfb599ca90e1a0978%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DNWNVEkwjOkn4aMfe1PTRs0-hQ-A&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dfb599ca90e1a0978%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D34ABC924635419E531B9C5EB29C452E470B7A36A.837DF04A55193387A03FAF8C011E500D4D6AA8F4%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dfb599ca90e1a0978%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DNWNVEkwjOkn4aMfe1PTRs0-hQ-A&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Above is a clip of Jimmy and Jacob sparring, the clip I intended to post on here a couple of days ago.<br /><br />Josh came in, which was a surprise, since he hadn't been there in a few months.&nbsp; He worked with Kenny on the punch mitts.&nbsp; He and Kenny are featured in the clip below which is just a general look at what goes on in the gym once the bell rings to start a round.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-c5b9759a2713f2db" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dc5b9759a2713f2db%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D272D6513E2687398891368D7FDCF459FBE73A6DB.4535FEE0D5C527A2B5B5F47F54A15B7D23DCB308%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dc5b9759a2713f2db%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DtQUTYbqgFUxVe-yz47v1vivJMe8&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dc5b9759a2713f2db%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D272D6513E2687398891368D7FDCF459FBE73A6DB.4535FEE0D5C527A2B5B5F47F54A15B7D23DCB308%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dc5b9759a2713f2db%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DtQUTYbqgFUxVe-yz47v1vivJMe8&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Jimmy was the only one who was matched up to someone for the boxing show at a field house on the west side.&nbsp; Unfortunately, he didn't come in the gym; I hope Alan has his phone number.&nbsp; None of the other guys got anything, and Alan told me that the coach over there "has no girls" with whom I could match up.&nbsp; So we just try again for the next boxing show, as usual.&nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3888111238041157228?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-56264393913075705912011-08-09T00:17:00.000-05:002011-08-09T00:17:24.533-05:00It was raining as I walked to the gym Monday night.&nbsp; Carolyn was no where to be found when I got there, so everyone had to wait until Alan came in before we could get into the gym.&nbsp;<br /><br />Sparring was done between Jacob and Jimmy, Oscar and Jesus, and Sarah and myself.&nbsp; I did get footage of Jacob and Jimmy, but I left my camera at the gym.&nbsp; I'll post that up later this Wednesday.&nbsp; Sparring continues to be a dicey dance because half of the ropes are still down on the ring.&nbsp; I did do a better job of catching some of Sarah's punches before they reached my face this time.&nbsp; <br /><br />There's a boxing show at Sheridan Park this Friday; Alan asked some of us did we want to fight there.&nbsp; "If someone is available, sure I'll fight," I told him.&nbsp; That's the key word where I'm concerned -- available.&nbsp; The guys are usually able to get fights, and some of the women who are younger than I are able to get bouts.&nbsp; I have some factors that are not in my favor: being female (there doesn't seem to be a lot of women fighting via the Chicago Park District gyms), being short, and being older.&nbsp; This may be my last year as a competitor, so I'm going for whatever opportunities there may be for me to step into the ring.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5626439391307570591?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-28727895964007484712011-08-04T02:14:00.000-05:002011-08-04T02:14:32.890-05:00Alan had to go out of town on business, so he wasn't in the gym Wednesday night.&nbsp; As soon as Jilberto opened up the gym door for myself, Oscar and Jesus, the mix of blood, sweat, and hot air rushed into my nose.&nbsp; Phew!&nbsp; I've been noticing the "funk" in the gym too often these days.&nbsp; I didn't even bother turning on the second fan or fussing with opening the ancient windows.&nbsp; The second fan, which is built into a window in the back of the gym, does nothing to blow air out, and no breezes ever seem to come in through the windows.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FX5M_6y6iE/Tjo8-S0a86I/AAAAAAAAAP8/uXm3VLux_Dg/s1600/Kenny+and+Jacob+work+mitts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FX5M_6y6iE/Tjo8-S0a86I/AAAAAAAAAP8/uXm3VLux_Dg/s320/Kenny+and+Jacob+work+mitts.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kenny worked with several on the punch mitts, including Jacob (shown on the right in the photo above).&nbsp; Kenny really gives some great pointers on how to throw punches and when.&nbsp; <br /><br />Before I had gone to the gym, I hoped there wouldn't be any incidents, major or minor.&nbsp; Unfortunately, too many times when the coach is absent, something negative jumps off.&nbsp; Fortunately, it was an easy, quiet night.&nbsp; Leon came in briefly, talked to Colonel for awhile, then left, probably because no sparring was going to happen.&nbsp; I spotted one of the many teenage boys that haunt the basketball courts peering into the gym, but he didn't come in for a closer look.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rx4Pss5_-cw/Tjo-oVHSnnI/AAAAAAAAAQA/N_ZhOlpdadg/s1600/John+Collins+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rx4Pss5_-cw/Tjo-oVHSnnI/AAAAAAAAAQA/N_ZhOlpdadg/s320/John+Collins+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The old boxing poster above features a picture of John Collins, a former professional boxer who is now a coach.&nbsp; His niece, Erin, used to attend the gym, and she once had a fight at the Sabre Room, out in Hickory Hills.&nbsp; I started thinking about all the people who have attended the gym since I've been going there,&nbsp; I wonder what happened to most of them.&nbsp; Lan has crossed my mind lately.&nbsp; Outside of myself, she was the only other woman who was very consistent about coming to the gym.&nbsp; Most of the other women who have come through last a session on average, then they're gone.&nbsp; She was in the military, and that was why she stopped coming to the gym -- she was eventually stationed at a base outside of the state.&nbsp; Jilberto would often ask me if I knew if she had been deployed overseas.&nbsp; Steve, the former coach, tried to keep in contact, but the last email address he had for her bounced back.&nbsp;<br /><br />I pulled some pages out of my locker that I had copied out of <u>The Gleason's Gym Total Boxing Workout for Women</u> a few years ago.&nbsp; The pages were of different combinations, so I decided to practice those.&nbsp; I really like the jab-jab-left uppercut-right combo, so I worked on that for a few rounds.&nbsp; I was awkward doing the jab-step-left hook-right cross combo.&nbsp; I kept goofing up on the step part.&nbsp; I did combinations on the bags too in an effort to check myself from just throwing one punch then stepping back all the time.<br /><br />Alan told me on Monday that I catch too many jabs with my face, as opposed to blocking them with my hand.&nbsp; It's true.&nbsp; I do know how to tap incoming jabs down, but for some reason I don't do it.&nbsp; I practiced a little blocking while shadow boxing in Rogers Park Baptist Church's gym yesterday.&nbsp;It was as hot in the church's gym as it gets in Loyola Park boxing gym, but I had to get a workout in.&nbsp; Pastor came in and imitated some of the moves I was doing.&nbsp; It looked as if he was attempting to dance (which he can't do, poor thing) instead of shadow boxing.&nbsp; Aaron, the custodian, peeked in, saw me and smiled.&nbsp; "I gotta play some Christian death metal music for you that I have on my iPod.&nbsp; That could be used as workout music," he said.&nbsp; I'd heard of death metal, but was surprised at the fact that there are Christian death metal bands.&nbsp; He played some for me today.&nbsp; I'm not into death metal, Christian or otherwise, but that could easily be blasted out of radio speakers at a gym, and it would work.&nbsp; <br /><br />Paulette told me that she saw the videos of me sparring.&nbsp; "It looked like you kept backing up, when you could have been more aggressive," she said.&nbsp; That's not the first time I've been told that.&nbsp; I'm beginning to think that my backing up is a holdover from grade school when I was always having to back away (and not usually successfully) from some other kid's wild punches.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-2872789596400748471?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-74704921254623534562011-08-02T08:16:00.000-05:002011-08-02T08:16:41.209-05:00Not too many showed up at the gym Monday night.&nbsp; Nathaniel asked, "Where's everybody?"&nbsp; "The heat must be keeping them away," I answered.<br /><br />Jesus and Oscar sparred, as did Professor and Nathaniel.&nbsp; Alan once again spent most of the time making sure people weren't falling out of the boundaries of the ring and tripping over the ropes.&nbsp; The video clip below shows part of the action between Professor and Nathaniel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-809ff33c24c3caf7" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D809ff33c24c3caf7%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3DC08A7DE3FBB615E08808018146CDEE50E04FA.25478346C4E316DD378DAA41BA43D9B1DB31304B%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D809ff33c24c3caf7%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dk10nSxlFOqGOxhfPjkxdrSVcmbg&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D809ff33c24c3caf7%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3DC08A7DE3FBB615E08808018146CDEE50E04FA.25478346C4E316DD378DAA41BA43D9B1DB31304B%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D809ff33c24c3caf7%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dk10nSxlFOqGOxhfPjkxdrSVcmbg&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />Sarah and I sparred, and I took a hit to my left eye.&nbsp; Usually, she always gets me in my right eye, but it was the other eye's turn to spin around after reeling from the impact.&nbsp; Luckily, I blocked several overhand rights that came down on my head.&nbsp; I got a few shots in to her head.&nbsp; I tried to do what Kenny had showed me the last week: throw a right uppercut, then dash off a left hook.&nbsp; I wasn't effective.&nbsp; Alan had to keep telling me to duck under her punches.&nbsp; I was only successful at doing that a few times, which bothered me because I'm way shorter than Sarah.&nbsp; It should have been easy to do.&nbsp;<br /><br />I went down to the washroom afterwards.&nbsp; Sarah's sister Amy was jumping rope out in the hallway.&nbsp; "How did it go?" she asked.&nbsp; "Your sister is tough," I said, still trying to get my wind back. &nbsp;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kd3NaROvyYY/Tjf4O3a53uI/AAAAAAAAAP4/pfrl7HgsjRM/s1600/Hearns+Barkley+II.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kd3NaROvyYY/Tjf4O3a53uI/AAAAAAAAAP4/pfrl7HgsjRM/s320/Hearns+Barkley+II.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7470492125462353456?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-51484343361708535882011-07-31T03:23:00.000-05:002011-07-31T03:23:26.028-05:00I have written here many times about how some people have admonished me over the years for participating in boxing.&nbsp; One of the best came from Ma, who told me back in 2001, "Can't you find something else better to do?"&nbsp; It has been pointed out to me more than once that boxing is, well. . .dangerous.&nbsp; I tell people how much I love the sport, and I laugh it off, but they're right.&nbsp; Precautions are taken (especially in the amateur ranks), but sometimes, things go wrong.&nbsp; <br /><br />One of the most horrific tragedies happened on March 24, 1962 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.&nbsp; Emile Griffith, a boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands, fought Benny "The Kid" Paret, a Cuban.&nbsp; It was the third time the two had fought, and the match was aired on national television on NBC.&nbsp; The first time they faced each other, Griffith won the welterweight title by knockout.&nbsp; The second time, Paret regained the title.&nbsp; The other night on ESPN Classic, I watched a documentary, Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story, which detailed what happened that night.&nbsp; <br /><br />During the sixth round, Griffith backed Paret into a corner and pounded him with punches.&nbsp; Some of the people in the documentary differed as to how many punches Paret took.&nbsp; Now I've been hurt myself in the gym and in the ring.&nbsp; I've seen others, both professional and amateur boxers, get injured on TV and during matches I've seen in person.&nbsp; The footage of Griffith beating Paret however, had me cringing with my mouth open.&nbsp; It was one of the most brutal beat downs I had ever seen.&nbsp; The referee, Rudy Goldstein, jumped in too late to stop it.&nbsp; Paret had been knocked unconscious while still on his feet, then he slumped slowly down to the canvas.&nbsp; A reporter interviews Griffith, who regained the championship, right after the mayhem.&nbsp; Griffith and his corner people look cautiously over at the corner where Paret, who was still out of it, was laying.&nbsp; Griffith commented that he hoped Paret "is feeling very good." Paret never regained consciousness, and he died ten days later, leaving behind a wife and a young son.&nbsp; Paret's widow is interviewed throughout the film.&nbsp; Several times, she is wiping away tears.&nbsp; <br /><br />Boxing doesn't have a patent on deaths.&nbsp;&nbsp; Cars spin out of control during races, jockeys fall off horses on the racetrack and are trampled. Luges crash, bulls stomp on their riders, and skiers slam into trees.&nbsp; But people are more scandalized about a boxing death because animals, sports equipment, and machines didn't contribute.&nbsp; It was purely at the hands of another human.&nbsp; It does not matter if the fight was sanctioned, or what the referee observed, or how the judges saw the bout.&nbsp; People will cry, "Murder!", and the calls to have the sport banned will be raised -- again.&nbsp; Indeed, that fight was the reason why boxing disappeared from network TV for the rest of the 1960s, not to be seen again until the 1970s.&nbsp; <br /><br />Some thought that Griffith may have intentionally beat Paret like that due to Paret using a gay slur towards Griffith during a weigh-in.&nbsp; Griffith seems to admit to being bisexual during the documentary, but there seems to be confusion about that, even on Griffith's part.&nbsp; He said that the slur didn't bother him.&nbsp; Footage of him being interviewed in the ring after the fight shows Griffith looking at the playback of the action.&nbsp; He appeared to be surprised at the intensity of his punches on Paret.&nbsp; Griffith gives the impression that he got caught up in the moment, and just followed the directions of his trainer to keep punching.&nbsp; <br /><br />As harsh as that night was, as well as some other messy aspects of Griffith's life -- a brief marriage, an assault that nearly killed him, dealing with puglistic dementia -- the documentary offers a most poignant and hopeful coda at the end.&nbsp; Paret's son, now an adult,&nbsp; finally meets Griffith.&nbsp; Initially, Griffith has trepidation, as anyone would in that instance.&nbsp; How will Paret's son react to him?&nbsp; What can Griffith say to the son of the man he killed?<br /><br />The two men meet in a park.&nbsp; Paret's son tells Griffith that his mother still has a hard time about his dad's death.&nbsp; But the son has no hard feelings.&nbsp; Griffith hugs the younger man and cries on his shoulder.&nbsp; Forgiveness is a hard thing to do.&nbsp; I am not fond of the concept, and I admit that I'm guilty of carrying grudges.&nbsp; I'm not the only one.&nbsp; But the documentary taught me that it not only can be done, but it is necessary for closure.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-5148434336170853588?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-83421745812574215032011-07-29T03:04:00.001-05:002011-07-29T03:05:44.580-05:00I did a round robin session of sparring with Sarah and Taheerah.&nbsp; Sarah got in with Taheerah first.&nbsp; I was impressed at how Taheerah hung in there with Sarah; she's not that much taller than I, and Taheerah is petite.&nbsp; But she was able to handle Sarah's punches.&nbsp; When I got in with Sarah, it was the usual; I took hits to my head and to my right eye.&nbsp; A right hook grazed me across my face.&nbsp; I focused on giving out body shots, but none of them slowed Sarah down.&nbsp; I'm convinced that Sarah should try to get a fight at the field house's boxing show next month.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOlOqQgwXEo/TjJjnG0Ls3I/AAAAAAAAAPs/rcYYJASYcZQ/s1600/Covers+from+old+boxing+magazines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOlOqQgwXEo/TjJjnG0Ls3I/AAAAAAAAAPs/rcYYJASYcZQ/s320/Covers+from+old+boxing+magazines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Taheerah's head gear kept coming off while she was sparring with Sarah.&nbsp; The same thing happened last week when she and I were in the ring.&nbsp; She has a lot of hair, plus the head gear Alan put on her was old.<br /><br />Kenny noticed that it seems that there are fewer sparring and bag gloves on the table each time the gym is opened.&nbsp; "Sometimes, Barry locks up equipment," I said.&nbsp; When the gym was given a lot of free equipment back in 2007 when the International Boxing Championships were in town, Barry had to put a lot of it under wraps for safety.&nbsp; Unfortunately, a lot of that equipment -- the gloves in particular -- walked anyway.&nbsp; Kenny figured that maybe some of the equipment was beginning to walk again. &nbsp; <br /><br />Kenny held pads for a few people, including me.&nbsp; He showed me another way to throw an overhand right.&nbsp; Usually, I do it the way Alan does, like a bolo punch (which is what that punch was originally called), setting it up like a right cross, but coming down with it in an arc.&nbsp; The way Kenny showed me was to come over my opponent's jab so that my fist ended up striking their chin or cuffing them behind the ear.&nbsp; He also had me throw right uppercuts and immediately follow up with a left hook to the body, as I would already be in position to throw the hook from leaning in to deliver the uppercut. People were watching us, including Taheerah and Ray, who cheered me on. "There you go!" Ray said, and Taheerah laughed as she told me, "Don't try those punches on me when we spar!"&nbsp; Next week, Kenny is going to show me some more combinations and how to step over to avoid counter punches.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gt-TNavWPbU/TjJjhrprj4I/AAAAAAAAAPo/a8pDpLkOulk/s1600/Judge+Mills+Lane+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gt-TNavWPbU/TjJjhrprj4I/AAAAAAAAAPo/a8pDpLkOulk/s320/Judge+Mills+Lane+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I sent an email to Steve on his birthday; I believe he's now 38 years old.&nbsp; He emailed back and told me he saw the letter I sent to The Ring Magazine praising them for finally including regular articles about female boxers.&nbsp; He asked if I was still going to Loyola Park and how the gym was going.&nbsp; I gave him an update and asked him to say hi to Ellen (his wife) and their kids.<br /><br />Tommy and I were talking about energy drinks on the market.&nbsp; "Have you tried that Five Hour Energy?" he asked.&nbsp; "I've never drank a full bottle.&nbsp; Half of one is enough to have me hopping," I said, and I comically demonstrated the effect.&nbsp; Tommy laughed.&nbsp; "I drank a full one, and I was sitting on the train when suddenly I felt pumped up!' he said.&nbsp; I don't trust most of the energy drinks I see advertised because I'm not really sure about the ingredients that go into them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_WLoqDYuUk/TjJjstDIdBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/GkAmfiC0v6k/s1600/The+ring+in+disrepair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_WLoqDYuUk/TjJjstDIdBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/GkAmfiC0v6k/s320/The+ring+in+disrepair.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Alan and I were the last ones in the gym at the end of the night, and I told him, "I forgot to take pictures of the action."&nbsp; "Take a picture of the ring.&nbsp; You can put a caption on it that says the ropes are in distress -- much like Leon's love life," he chuckled.&nbsp; "If Leon sees this on the blog, I'm going to tell him that you put me up to it,' I laughed.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8342174581257421503?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-82191614083603928802011-07-26T00:33:00.001-05:002011-07-26T00:34:31.575-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQmaUwTEJKU/Ti5O3HiHlxI/AAAAAAAAAPk/88lr0d1cQ_g/s1600/PICT0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQmaUwTEJKU/Ti5O3HiHlxI/AAAAAAAAAPk/88lr0d1cQ_g/s320/PICT0999.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Earlier in the day, I was wondering how I was going to make it at the gym Monday night.&nbsp; The usual menopause insomnia and fatigue had plagued me the night before, despite the fact that I did get a few good hours of sleep.&nbsp; Sometimes I feel tired in the gym and push on, but other times, like last night, I'm able to shake it off.<br /><br />While walking through the park to get to the field house, I saw a little boy who looked familiar.&nbsp; "Nico?" I called out to him, and he stopped in his tracks and looked at me.&nbsp; I waved to him.&nbsp; Nico is one of the children who regularly attends my church.&nbsp; Jesse, who used to be an intern at my church, and who's also a friend of Nico's parents, saw me and waved.&nbsp; I guess he was watching over Nico.&nbsp; Nico has often played with Jesse's young son Emmit.&nbsp; <br /><br />And it was a good thing I was able to keep the tiredness at bay as I sparred with both Taheerah and Ursula (Renee and Amy opted not to spar).&nbsp; Ursula only did one round and she was done. I was in the ring for two rounds with Taheerah, who got in a few good shots to my stomach.&nbsp; Trying to be slick at one point, I covered up my mid-section, but left my head wide open.&nbsp; Taheerah clocked me in my ear with her right hand.<br /><br />A pop to Nathaniel's eye from Jacob ended the sparring session they had.&nbsp; But Kenny, who had gone into the ring earlier with him, and Ray, who had observed their pairing, had nothing but praise for him.&nbsp; "He's got a lot of heart," Ray said, while Kenny exclaimed, "That mother------ kept coming despite taking hits!&nbsp; I have to give him his respect!"&nbsp; <br /><br />Ray helped Jimmy along while they sparred in the ring, encouraging Jimmy to throw more hooks.&nbsp; Alan was trying to keep his eyes on them as well as all the sparring that went on, while keeping an eye on the damaged ring.&nbsp; A few times while Kenny sparred, he kept stepping over the rope, and Alan would gently push him back onto the playing area.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3aeCC8n-Do/Ti5OopfRlyI/AAAAAAAAAPc/oKvBc3gHxYo/s1600/PICT0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3aeCC8n-Do/Ti5OopfRlyI/AAAAAAAAAPc/oKvBc3gHxYo/s320/PICT0997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />In the photo above, Jacob spars with Kenny (who's facing the camera).<br /><br />I got the name of the cream that Ursula recommended for helping with arthritis pain: it's called Arnica, and I'm going to look for it tomorrow.&nbsp; My knees felt pretty good today.&nbsp; Taheerah had seen me out with my bike a few weeks ago.&nbsp; "I have rode as far as Highland Park, but these days, it depends on how my knees feel," I told her.&nbsp; I've only rode my bike once this season, but I'll need to pull it out more beginning next month as part of the training plan for the tentative fight I'll have in September.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8219161408360392880?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-77555643674454312932011-07-25T02:26:00.002-05:002011-07-31T00:41:24.998-05:00I've been watching reruns of "Car 54, Where Are You?" over the weekends on MeTV.&nbsp; For those not hip to cult TV history, it was a sitcom that aired from 1961 to 1963 on NBC.&nbsp; The main characters were a couple of New York City cops: tall, college-educated bachelor Muldoon (Fred Gwynne) and short, none-too-bright married man Toody (Joe E. Ross).&nbsp; There were a couple of episodes where the cops were trying to catch up with a gang of thieves.&nbsp; There was one guy who appeared as the muscle of the gangs in both episodes.&nbsp; I was surprised to read the credits at the end of the episode to find out the guy was real-life boxer Jake LaMotta.&nbsp; As of this writing, LaMotta is 90 years old, and still very much alive.&nbsp; His life story was chronicled in the movie Raging Bull (1980), with Robert DeNiro playing the boxer.&nbsp; <br /><br />The writers and producers of "Car 54" must have really liked boxers, because just this past weekend, I saw another episode featuring two of the greatest boxers of all time.&nbsp; The episode, "Puncher and Judy", had one of the cops, Kissel, (Bruce Kirby) bragging about how he was going to take on an opponent.&nbsp; Toody informs Kissel that he took the liberty of signing him up for the Golden Gloves.&nbsp; He even has the name of the opponent, some guy named Tony.&nbsp; Suddenly, Kissel's not so brave anymore, and decides he's going to back out, but not before snapping on Toody for putting his name in the competition.&nbsp; A woman (played by the late Shari Lewis, who was also a popular voice over actress) shows up at the station and begs Toody and Muldoon to convince her boyfriend Tony, a gentle hairdresser who has customers who are crazy about him, not to fight in the gloves.&nbsp; The cops take Tony to a boxing gym, and arrange with a trainer to have one of the pros at the gym pop Tony one good time in order to make him lose his confidence.&nbsp; To the surprise of Toody and Muldoon, Tony wipes the canvas with his opponent, and has to be pulled off of him.&nbsp; The part of Tony was played by boxer Rocky Graziano.&nbsp; His real-life story was also done on the big screen: Paul Newman played him in the movie, Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956).<br /><br />The cops get the bright idea to get an even more experienced pro to beat Tony in order to keep him out of the Gloves.&nbsp; They manage to convince the pro to disguise himself as an old man as to not bruise Tony's feelings too bad.&nbsp; Tony doesn't want to get into the ring with a "70 year old man" but Toody and Muldoon convince Tony to give him a few rounds.&nbsp; What Tony doesn't know is that the "old man" is actually Sugar Ray Robinson in disguise.&nbsp; Tony is knocked to the canvas, and decides that boxing is not for him.<br /><br />However, when Tony returns to his hairdressing job, he's mean to his customers.&nbsp; Tony threatens to cut off all the hair of one customer, and he sends another woman running out of the beauty shop crying.&nbsp; His girlfriend realizes that boxing was the way Tony let out pent-up emotions, so she begs Toody and Muldoon to convince him to go back to boxing.&nbsp; The cops and Robinson let Tony know how they tricked him at first, and all ends well with Tony beating down three guys at one time at the gym as his girlfriend cheers him on.<br /><br />It was an amusing episode.&nbsp; Graziano exaggerated his boxing moves, beating guys after they had already fallen onto the canvas by pouncing on top of them (something that is not in the boxing rulebook).&nbsp; Robinson was getting fitted for a suit by a tailor when Toody and Muldoon approached him to take on Tony.&nbsp; "I don't know fellas. . .I have to train for a fight," Robinson said, then he casually flung a backhand fist at a nearby speed bag as the tailor measured him for the suit.&nbsp; Robinson's manager handed him a contract for his next fight.&nbsp; The boxer asked if all his demands had been met, which were all outrageous, including 92% of the box office receipts.&nbsp; The manager assured him the demands were in place, and Robinson signed the contract.&nbsp; The manager walked away, then a thought occurred to Sugar Ray.&nbsp; "Wait!&nbsp; Who am I fighting?" he asked.&nbsp; <br /><br />Graziano did meet Robinson in the ring for real, in 1952.&nbsp; Robinson knocked Graziano out in three rounds.&nbsp; It would be Graziano's last attempt at a middleweight title.&nbsp; Graziano was entered into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.&nbsp; Robinson was entered there in 1990, as was Jake LaMotta.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-7755564367445431293?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-41113863528966404252011-07-21T21:32:00.003-05:002011-07-21T21:34:09.337-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDMtZ9cFp3E/TijYYegTfHI/AAAAAAAAAPU/JvGtWRbKkz4/s1600/Rocky+V+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDMtZ9cFp3E/TijYYegTfHI/AAAAAAAAAPU/JvGtWRbKkz4/s320/Rocky+V+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Taheerah and I sparred Wednesday night, and I honored her request to go light.&nbsp; Her husband, Nate, gave her tips from the side.&nbsp; I heard Alan say to me, "She's your height!&nbsp; Throw straight punches!"&nbsp; <br /><br />The ring itself continues to be in disrepair.&nbsp; I heard that it might take a year for maintenance to fix it, which I can believe.&nbsp; When the back door of the field house was broken, it took about that amount of time before that was repaired.&nbsp; As Kenny pointed out, it makes it hard for the fighters who need to learn how to work off of the ropes.&nbsp; It's also hard to gauge where one is at during sparring because half of the ropes are down on the canvas.&nbsp; Alan and I are constantly calling out, "Watch out!" when someone gets too close to the edge.&nbsp; In my opinion, what's needed is a ring that doesn't have its canvas bolted down on the floor.&nbsp; The last time I was in JABB Gym, I remember they had a small ring that was only a couple of feet from the floor.&nbsp; It didn't take up a lot of room; such a ring could probably fit into Loyola Gym.<br /><br />The temperature in the gym was very hot, and no wonder -- it was about 100 degrees yesterday.&nbsp; I was banging on the teardrop bag when I noticed my bag gloves were slick with sweat.&nbsp; Jilberto told Colonel and I that most of the other field houses didn't open that day due to the heat.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HHhHCekIxBY/TijYdd4pt6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/avouKe4OYHE/s1600/Sugar+Ray+Robinson+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>I got some more good tips from Kenny on how to throw uppercuts.&nbsp; I had reverted to my old habit of bringing my arms all the way before throwing them, which is a good way for an opponent to step in on me with hard hooks.&nbsp; The last time I sparred with Taheerah, I tried to sneak a couple of uppercuts in, but I wasn't close enough, and she danced away very fast before I could execute them properly.&nbsp; That's the one punch that I never feel I do correctly, and the one I feel I need to practice the most.&nbsp; <br /><br />Lots of sparring, despite the heat -- Kenny, Jimmy, Jacob, Matt, Nathaniel and Nate -- all took turns on the canvas.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HHhHCekIxBY/TijYdd4pt6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/avouKe4OYHE/s1600/Sugar+Ray+Robinson+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HHhHCekIxBY/TijYdd4pt6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/avouKe4OYHE/s320/Sugar+Ray+Robinson+poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />After the gym, Alan, his son Matt, and myself went to Giordano's.&nbsp; Matt had chicken, while Alan and I split a pizza (the leftovers of which I will have for dinner tonight).&nbsp; Alan had me cracking up with a some "Curb Your Enthusiasm" moments he had.&nbsp; One involved him asking a woman if she was pregnant.&nbsp; She wasn't.&nbsp; "You never assume that a woman is pregnant unless she tells you," I laughed.&nbsp; I think of all the times people have seen my gut -- which I have been trying to whittle down for the longest -- and assumed that I had an ankle-biter on the way.&nbsp; It's one of the quickest ways to tick off most women.<br /><br />We had a good time. &nbsp; I could tell that Alan worries a lot about Matt, and like most young folks, Matt thinks his dad's fears are unfounded.&nbsp; However, father and son appear to have a comfortable way of talking and relating to each other.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-4111386352896640425?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-38490377435203726402011-07-18T23:42:00.000-05:002011-07-18T23:42:25.414-05:00I turned on the fan that's built into the back window of the gym, as well as the box fan.&nbsp; It didn't do much.&nbsp; Ray commented, "You can just stand around and sweat and lose calories in here!"&nbsp; Despite of the heat, the gym was well attended tonight.<br /><br />Taheerah and Ursula sparred.&nbsp; Taheerah kept coming forward.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-73d0787ad9f72e59" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D73d0787ad9f72e59%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3272B23A5C7F9D45721FBEC4CA30C97AAEDDD517.4B38297FD439DB4DD58DD0EE64AF0A461EEF8D67%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D73d0787ad9f72e59%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DFmYn6T7zhd_MVwGyZfTXMWYwQpE&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D73d0787ad9f72e59%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3272B23A5C7F9D45721FBEC4CA30C97AAEDDD517.4B38297FD439DB4DD58DD0EE64AF0A461EEF8D67%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D73d0787ad9f72e59%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DFmYn6T7zhd_MVwGyZfTXMWYwQpE&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then I got into the ring with Taheerah.&nbsp; I put out as many straight punches as possible, including an overhand right.&nbsp; The video clip of us sparring looks odd because Alan was holding my camera, and he hasn't quite got the hang of how to operate it.&nbsp; Plus, I had problems uploading it, so it's not featured here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-6637e38fc5d55b43" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D6637e38fc5d55b43%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4A911247AE2581E06BA17CBB9909BC050A981B0F.77DC12775D0FAE406BB404A883902D7B3DA3F50F%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D6637e38fc5d55b43%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DxrJl9YEUqCAKYs7fGiT672cL7KI&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D6637e38fc5d55b43%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4A911247AE2581E06BA17CBB9909BC050A981B0F.77DC12775D0FAE406BB404A883902D7B3DA3F50F%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D6637e38fc5d55b43%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DxrJl9YEUqCAKYs7fGiT672cL7KI&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br /><br />After some coaxing by Leon, Jimmy agreed to spar with him.&nbsp; Alan got into the ring to referee, and he had to warn Leon several times to go easy.&nbsp; Jimmy did take a shot to the side.&nbsp; "He didn't hit me as hard as he could have, but I feel it," Jimmy told me later.<br /><br />Matt, Alan's son, came in, and he sparred with Oscar.&nbsp; Matt plans to go to college for a year here in Illinois, then transfer.&nbsp; He's eyeing a kickboxing team at a school out in California.<br /><br />Ray and Alan had a great sparring session -- with no headgear -- which ended prematurely because Ray slipped and fell.&nbsp; Ray got in a nice, crisp uppercut on Alan right before Ray fell. Kenny, Oscar, and Marcus also sparred, so the ring was used a lot tonight.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3849037743520372640?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-38844704274715798222011-07-14T14:24:00.000-05:002011-07-14T14:24:22.850-05:00I stayed at work a little longer yesterday because I had come in late (didn't sleep one wink the night before).&nbsp; Paulette had come in to help set up for that night's Vacation Bible School session, and she gave me a ride home.&nbsp; As we were leaving, Pastor told Paulette that he'd see her later that evening.&nbsp; He looked at me and said, "Box somebody for Jesus!"<br /><br />Tommy sparred for the first time last night, and Alan picked me to get into the ring with him.&nbsp; As I've mentioned before, I have a hard time building up some sort of manufactured antagonism towards opponents, even when I have regular bouts.&nbsp; Also, Tommy is a holdover from when Steve was the coach, and the only connecting person currently in the gym to that past time.&nbsp; I felt kind of guilty for having to hit him, and I didn't want to go hard.&nbsp; <br /><br />Around the middle of the first around, I began to notice that Tommy was using his right hand to jab.&nbsp; I kept moving to his left to avoid that hand.&nbsp; He was moving a lot faster than I was, too, considering that I usually plod, and I'm more flat-footed in the ring.&nbsp; In the second around, I caught some shots to the mid-section, then a right hood grazed across my eyes and the bridge of my nose.&nbsp; "You okay?" he asked, and I said, "yes" as I backed up real quick. &nbsp; After the third round ended our sparring session, I asked, "Are you a southpaw?"&nbsp; When he answered in the affirmative, I exclaimed, "Ah-ha!"&nbsp; Tommy has an advantage.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-81dacdafe4b48171" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D81dacdafe4b48171%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3837447160FDE67DE90045F8F9DA840A9772876B.4FE09817DCC51D33E45B8865CBFF93C72F545C4B%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D81dacdafe4b48171%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DyHIPlD2f0JW297986LeS2imYM5g&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D81dacdafe4b48171%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3837447160FDE67DE90045F8F9DA840A9772876B.4FE09817DCC51D33E45B8865CBFF93C72F545C4B%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D81dacdafe4b48171%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DyHIPlD2f0JW297986LeS2imYM5g&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br />The video clip above is of Jacob sparring with Nate.&nbsp; I stood on the opposite side of the ring so I could also include Alan in the shot.&nbsp; He's the guy shadow boxing near the ropes and keeping an eye on the action at the same time.&nbsp; Jacob also sparred with Oscar and Jesus, getting in several rounds.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0ZAo8UEz4g/Th9BOdp-ODI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/hTtb5KCLzkM/s1600/Rocky+Balboa+poster+in+the+gym.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0ZAo8UEz4g/Th9BOdp-ODI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/hTtb5KCLzkM/s320/Rocky+Balboa+poster+in+the+gym.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />There's a couple of Rocky posters in the gym; this one is for what (is supposedly) the very last movie in the series.&nbsp; Sylvester Stallone, the actor who plays Rocky, was recently inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.&nbsp; Many people thought that was a dubious choice, but the Rocky character is considered one of the patron saints of boxing.&nbsp; A lot of people took up the sport because of those movies.&nbsp; <br /><br />Did I mention that I used a free pass to workout at XSport Fitness this past weekend?&nbsp; I wasn't overly impressed by the place, and even less so when I went in the back to find two heavy bags and one double end bag.&nbsp; The double end bag wasn't even filled properly with air.&nbsp; I punched one of the heavy bags for about twenty minutes.&nbsp; Afterwards, a woman told me, "I really liked how you were punching the bag.&nbsp; You don't see many women boxing."&nbsp; A black man who was walking nearby looked at me and grinned, "Yeah, especially black women!"&nbsp; Humph. . .I could have told him stories.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3884470427471579822?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-88724677071305876932011-07-12T00:51:00.000-05:002011-07-12T00:51:26.353-05:00Another hot night in the gym, and the fan didn't do much in terms of circulating fresh air around.&nbsp; I was happy when I opened my locker to find the air freshener I placed inside still worked.&nbsp; It will need to be replaced soon, however; I think it's been in there for about three months.<br /><br />Oscar sparred with Jesus for a round, then I got in with Jesus.&nbsp; "You've worked with him in the ring before, right?" Alan asked.&nbsp; "Nope, this will be the first time," I answered.&nbsp; He didn't give many hard hits, but he kept busy enough to prevent me from landing a lot of my harder shots.&nbsp; Somewhere in the second round, I heard Alan say to me, "You're not tired -- work!"&nbsp; <i>Oh, yeah, I'm tired</i>, I thought to myself, and the realization came that it wasn't all from the energy expended in sparring.&nbsp;&nbsp; After the third round, I went over and sat down directly in front of the fan, my legs out in front of me.&nbsp; Alan had to chuckle when he saw me.<br /><br />It wouldn't have been nice to keep hogging the fan, so eventually I got up so I could watch Jimmy and Jacob spar.&nbsp; "How do you feel?" Alan asked.&nbsp; "Menopausal", I replied.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-61cea215b889f92c" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D61cea215b889f92c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D1BB6D5BBDEA629502BD387FC4E7708FE5FD2AB7F.4679A12A5B759A843456E896BED220801504DB0F%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D61cea215b889f92c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D43Sd7c2Hvb-7z1wvQfCsOoG04zI&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D61cea215b889f92c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D1BB6D5BBDEA629502BD387FC4E7708FE5FD2AB7F.4679A12A5B759A843456E896BED220801504DB0F%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D61cea215b889f92c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D43Sd7c2Hvb-7z1wvQfCsOoG04zI&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br /><br />There seems to be a great interest among the guys in Jacob's style of boxing.&nbsp; "He's really coming along.&nbsp; I saw those punches he was throwing and I was like, whew!" Ray commented.&nbsp; Kenny held pads for Jacob afterwards, and Jacob's punches reverberated around the room.&nbsp; Some of the guys stopped their workout to watch how he was doing.&nbsp; When Professor is around (he wasn't in the gym that night), he likes holding pads for Jacob and giving him pointers, too.&nbsp; Alan would like for Jacob to consider taking a fight at some point.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0iXAVzBLbw/ThvZ8NK37II/AAAAAAAAAPE/DQMNQCh3cI8/s1600/Nathaniel+and+Oscar+before+sparring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0iXAVzBLbw/ThvZ8NK37II/AAAAAAAAAPE/DQMNQCh3cI8/s320/Nathaniel+and+Oscar+before+sparring.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />In the above photo, Oscar and Nathaniel wait for the bell to ring to start their sparring session.&nbsp; Note the condition of the ropes at the back of the ring.&nbsp; We're all hoping that will be fixed in a hurry. &nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1IzMyJD1cVg/ThvaL5_jjtI/AAAAAAAAAPI/5adm473fWHA/s1600/Jesus+in+the+mirror.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1IzMyJD1cVg/ThvaL5_jjtI/AAAAAAAAAPI/5adm473fWHA/s320/Jesus+in+the+mirror.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Jesus shadow boxes in the mirror some time after he and I sparred. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3RbBeDCB-o/ThvaUKH4PBI/AAAAAAAAAPM/-Goc5LWswGU/s1600/Kenny+and+Oscar+on+pads.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3RbBeDCB-o/ThvaUKH4PBI/AAAAAAAAAPM/-Goc5LWswGU/s320/Kenny+and+Oscar+on+pads.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kenny works with Oscar on the pads in the photo above.&nbsp; One of Kenny's ribs got separated from the ribcage.&nbsp; "How did that happen?" I asked, thinking about the time I bruised a rib while ice skating.&nbsp; "I think it happened during sparring.&nbsp; Luckily, it didn't puncture a lung.&nbsp; I figured I wasn't coughing up blood, so it's all good!" he said.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-8872467707130587693?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-34590733211236445732011-07-07T00:50:00.001-05:002011-07-07T00:50:47.876-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZAGAPduqvo/ThVA9Rf7iII/AAAAAAAAAO4/yfP7X0rjGcs/s1600/Alan+gives+pointers+to+Amanda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZAGAPduqvo/ThVA9Rf7iII/AAAAAAAAAO4/yfP7X0rjGcs/s320/Alan+gives+pointers+to+Amanda.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Alan is always giving advice and pointers. . .in the photo above, he talks to Amanda after her and I sparred Wednesday night.&nbsp; As soon as I took the first punch from her, I figured out quickly that she had some experience in the ring previously.&nbsp; She moves very well around the ring, and she did some nice bobbing and weaving, especially when she sparred with Sarah.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-5f7ebd8f8b4d114a" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5f7ebd8f8b4d114a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D72637C2CF12A0F8E04959897DF242763069093DA.80237E2CFCE33F6DCBA1EA386DECA23D1501F2E4%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5f7ebd8f8b4d114a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DketDbJzDc4GG3VAR6su4DOYLSEQ&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5f7ebd8f8b4d114a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330440800%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D72637C2CF12A0F8E04959897DF242763069093DA.80237E2CFCE33F6DCBA1EA386DECA23D1501F2E4%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5f7ebd8f8b4d114a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DketDbJzDc4GG3VAR6su4DOYLSEQ&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div>&nbsp; <br />Sarah and I commented on what good conditioning Jacob appears to have.&nbsp; He went several rounds with Alan, and caught him with a good right hook.&nbsp; "Remember that other day when he did several rounds of sparring?&nbsp; He wasn't even breathing hard afterwards!" Sarah commented.&nbsp; I believe Jacob told me he also works out at another gym, so that would explain his seemingly endless energy. &nbsp; Jacob also sparred with Nathaniel.&nbsp; Nathaniel had this nice move, where he bent down a little and twisted in order to throw a hook to Jacob's side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hhixUepUO6Y/ThVBB0Zt0bI/AAAAAAAAAO8/qFDJAGJwz9Q/s1600/Alan+Jacob+and+Nathaniel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hhixUepUO6Y/ThVBB0Zt0bI/AAAAAAAAAO8/qFDJAGJwz9Q/s320/Alan+Jacob+and+Nathaniel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Tommy was really beating on the speed bag.&nbsp; "That's right, Tommy, kill it!" I joked, and we both laughed.&nbsp; Tommy pointed at the speed bag and announced, "I'm coming back for you!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z1PopgrwF1Y/ThVBFt7ORUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/XFuTe0ry234/s1600/Tareehza+on+the+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z1PopgrwF1Y/ThVBFt7ORUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/XFuTe0ry234/s320/Tareehza+on+the+bag.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I was so tired when I first got to the gym.&nbsp; Have I mentioned that the building I live in, like so many others it seems these days, has a bedbug problem?&nbsp; I clean (using bleach and ammonia), I spray (with over the counter pesticides), I throw stuff out to keep down clutter (I've begun to sell off my old albums), but it doesn't seem to help.&nbsp; If your neighbors have them, and they haven't been properly dealt with, the problem remains.&nbsp; I don't sleep much because of them, which is really a trip on top of having to deal with the insomnia that comes with menopause.&nbsp;&nbsp; I woke up around 5:30 AM, and my legs and arms looked ghastly from all the bites.&nbsp; It was the worst that I have ever been bitten up by insects.&nbsp; My skin was raw from all the scratching.&nbsp; I immediately got up and threw out my couch cushions and most of my bed sheets, pillow cases and blankets.&nbsp; I don't think I have any pillows left at all.&nbsp; Then I spent time spraying before I went to work.&nbsp; It is easier for me to spar ten rounds with the tallest and biggest people in the gym than to fight the bedbugs.&nbsp; At least I see progress when I'm sparring.&nbsp; The sofa bed I used to sleep on will have to be thrown out to the alley because it's made of cloth and the bedbugs appear to have made that their personal residence; I have to call movers this week to get estimates on how much that will cost.<br /><br />A neighbor of mine, Eric, gave me a seven-day pass to X Sport, a popular gym where he lifts weight.&nbsp; He loves the place because he says it has a multitude of equipment (including heavy bags and kettlebells), plus, it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long.&nbsp; I will try to check it out before the end of the week.&nbsp; I know that I'll be subject to a sales pitch because the seven-day pass is designed to get people to sign up for memberships.&nbsp; I can't afford the cost of membership, but I've always been curious about those gyms that are accessible all the time.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-8675161482402031"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_page_url = document.location; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> <img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/16593597-3459073321123644573?l=boxingdiva.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Boxing Tomboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842127072237864050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16593597.post-56903226671297571742011-06-30T00:23:00.000-05:002011