Gym Set Up

This past Friday was a quiet night as few showed up to work out. It's nice when it's not as crowded, especially since it is a small space. The gym is tucked way in the back of the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, near a back door that is only supposed to be used for emergencies. Sometimes I think people aren't aware we're back there except for the sound of the bell. Unlike the other programs I've noticed, particularly the ones the kids are in, we're not roaming up and down the halls incessantly.

To the left when you walk in is Steve's desk. I've never seen that desk when it was completely clear of boxing magazines and catalogs, flyers for boxing events, notes to and from Barry, photographs, coaches' guidelines, etc. The drawers are filled with tools, old boxing licenses, pens, pencils, paper, etc. A TV/VCR combo sits on the far right side of the desk. It's a little tempermental, but is useful for its purpose. A cabinet sits to the left of Steve's desk. It is filled with boxing magazines, tools, cleaning supplies and various other items. To the right of Steve's desk are a few lockers. My locker is the last one on the end. I used to share it with Junior and with Sadiq, but neither of them keeps their stuff in there. Steve's locker is the first one on the other end. I'm not sure to whom the other lockers in-between belong to, but they are always locked.

To the right of the main door is a coat rack and a garbage can. There's always shirts and jackets and other clothes on there that I assume belong to the kids -- who come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- accidently leave behind. Underneath the coat rack is a box filled with miscellaneous clothes. A board of photographs from days past in the gym are behind the box.

The main floor has two heavy bags hanging. One heavy bag is leaned up against the cabinet where the bag gloves, cups and chest protectors are kept on the left side of the gym (if you are facing the main door). Three mirrors -- two mounted on the walls, and an oblong one in the middle that sits on the floor -- are to the right of the bag gloves cabinet. Various jump ropes hang off of of the cover to the second mounted mirror. To the left of the bag glove cabinet is a speed bag. The speed bag platform is very old, and can't be adjusted. I always have to stand on one of the step risers nearby to reach it the bag. The bell sits on top of an old heavy bag that has been turned on its side. It used to sit on a little table, but that broke several months ago. A T-shirt sits in front of the bell to muffle some of the loudness. A few free weights sit on the floor nearby.

Next to the speed bag is a door that leads to the basketball gym. That door is kept locked most of the time except if we have to enter and exit through it. Sometimes, the main door sticks and doesn't open, or if Steve is not in, staff doesn't always have access to another key to open it. Usually, an old tire is stationed in front of the door, if it is not on top of the speed bag platform.

Next to the basketball gym door, on the left, is a bulletin board. Pictures of current and past boxers, in the gym, at boxing shows and at tournaments, dot the board. Pictures of Steve's little boy and Neil's little boy are up, and there's a picture of me at my job wearing headgear and boxing wear. A diagram of how to wrap one's hands is posted near the bottom.

Below the bulletin board is the sparring glove table. Underneath the table are two step risers. Next to the table is a headgear tree, and a little cabinet with water bottles and Vaseline. On the other side are a couple of spit buckets.

The ring sits flat on the floor and takes up the second half of the gym. On the right side are chairs for observers to sit. On the left side are two more equipment cabinets, plus a radio/tape/CD combo that is always tuned to the popular music stations. Behind the ring is a blue mat, a hanging uppercut bag, and several medicine balls. In the far corner to the right is an old, worn out stand-alone heavy bag which no one uses. A set of double doors behind that bag lead to the weight room, but it is always locked. In order to enter that room, we have to exit the gym into the basketball gym, walk a few feet, and go into another door.

In front of the ring to the left is a double end bag. Usually, a couple of chairs are nearby, either by the ring or in front of the lockers.

There are two fans in the gym, neither of which gives a lot of relief when it is hot. One fan is very old, and was probably there when the building was first built decades ago. The second is a box fan that I donated. It had belonged to my late sister, and I already had a few fans in the apartment. There are windows in the gym, which have to be opened with a hook because they are high up. We're careful to close them at the end of the night, or else Barry will have a fit.

Boxing posters and annoucements about matches cover the walls. One of my favorites is a Nike poster which shows Muhammad Ali during a match with Sonny Liston. Liston is not shown in the picture, but the shot was taken after Ali -- then Cassius Clay -- knocked him to the canvas and yelled, "Get up!" The caption on the poster reads, "Impossible Is Nothing". There's a boxing match announcement with a picture of Erin's uncle on it when he was a contender back in the day. One match from years ago announces that Mike Tyson would be fighting at a local church gym. I'm assuming that was long before his fame/notoriety. A signed poster of Roy Jones Jr. sits near the basketball gym door. There are also articles about local boxers and boxing matches up on the walls.

Squats and Schedules

I managed to do squats for the first time since I injured my right knee over two months ago. Oh, yeah, it did hurt somewhat, but not as bad as it did weeks ago. Maybe in another few weeks I can go back to jumping rope.

Steve had schedules for the Chicago Park District's City-Wide Boxing Tournament, as well as the schedule for the fieldhouse boxing shows. I added them to my datebook at work, and I need to put them in my personal planner as well. Of course, chances of me getting a match at those events is nil, but I can still help out.

Didn't know until last night that Muhammad had broken his leg a few years ago. He was riding around in a car in Saudi Arabia, and got into a bad accident. Broke his femur in two. "My insurance didn't work with the private hospitals there, so I had to stay at a US-run hospital. The service was terrible," he told me. I had heard stories about Americans who needed urgent medical care while overseas before; none of the stories were pretty. Thank God his situation turned out okay.

Just last week, someone at church asked how I could I still box with arthritis in both knees. Now I have to train with another medical condition: mild diabetes. My doctor told me about it this morning when I went in for my physical. I'm still trying to figure out what is "mild" about diabetes. My dad and both my grandmothers had it, and they suffered with it the most before they passed away. My maternal grandma lost one of her legs and some of her toes before it was all over. I was not happy about having to drop a chunk of change at the drug store for a blood glucose machine and several different types of medications.

Boxing Vs. MMA and Coaching

I went to Mike's condo on Saturday night to watch a match between Sugar Shane Mosley and Luis Collazo. Two of Mike's buddies, Nate and Bill were there; none of the guys from the gym came by. We watched several MMA matches including the inagural ones that Showtime aired. Bill commented as we watched the Mosley-Collazo match that it was sort of a come down after the excitement of the MMA bouts.

Well, yes and no, in my opinion. MMA fighters generate a lot of heat with their kicks, takedowns and grappling, but boxing has the better bang for its buck. MMA bouts have longer rounds of five minutes, and only three or four rounds are done. Everything can be over by a submission or knockout in the first round. A fighter can be knocked down and out in the first seconds of the first round in boxing, too, but it doesn't happen all the time. MMA fans get cheated out of good fights a lot, while boxing fans get their money's worth when two great fighters go the distance. It seems that fighters have to be just about dead before referees will stop a match in MMA. Refs and coaches appear to look out more for their fighters in order to keep real damage from being done.

For example. . .Frank Shamrock jammed his opponent, one of the famous Gracie family, in the back of the head twice with his knee before the referee stepped in. Gracie had a concussion and couldn't go on. The fight was aborted unnecessarily, and after a big build up, fans were left hanging. The best MMA bout of the night took place between two women, the first MMA match with females that had been aired on TV. Those women were tough; that could have gone on more than three rounds.

Steve told me Friday night that there was a coach's clinic in Harvey, IL the following morning. If I had known about it earlier in the week, I would not have scheduled a church gospel concert rehearsal Saturday. I'll have to ask him how he finds out about the clinics, so I can put the next one in my calendar.

Junior's Return

My week has not been that good -- yelling at undisciplined (and perhaps, thieving) kids at church, dealing with the fifth anniversary of my younger sister's death, struggling with planning Black History Month events at work as well as a gospel concert at church -- so to see Junior back at the gym this past Wednesday was a very good thing. He met heavyweight champ Calvin Brock while he was down in North Carolina. He also said it appeared Brock's manager took an interest in how he was working out at a gym down there.

Today, I re-ordered the Ringside hat that I believe one of the young hooligans at church took on Super Bowl Sunday. I figured I might as well order a DVD too, so I got one about mastering the punch mits. I always feel so awkward whether I'm the person holding the mitts or the one punching them. I really want to learn how to use them better.

Danny shook my hand before he left the gym and commented, "Wow, you have a hard grip!" Guys in particular always comment on my firm handshake. It's funny to me. I guess I have hard hands.

Senior Moment

I must be slippin. . .I showed up at the gym this past Friday, opened up my locker, and gasped because my gym bag wasn't inside. Then I realized that I had left it at home. Normally, I take the bag to the gym on Wednesday, leave it in the locker, then take it home Friday. I totally forgot that the gym was closed last Wednesday. Fortunately, I was wearing workout clothes. There was an old pair of wraps in the locker. Not sure if they belonged to Junior or Sadiq, but I used them to protect my hands.

Betty took videos of some of the guys working in the ring, and she told Steve she would upload them to YouTube. The camera she had was a nice compact job that she got for a deal. I made a mental note to get a similar camera in the near future. Betty had a good idea. The boxers can view the videos later to get ideas on how to improve their game.

I told the guys about the Super Bowl party that I was coordinating at my church. They made some good jokes when I told them no alcohol was going to be allowed. Stuff about people drinking in the pews, etc. If only that party had turned out as mirthful as the mood in the gym was at that moment. I spent the entire Super Bowl party yelling at a group of unruly, undisciplined, thoughtless kids. I had snapped at the same set of kids -- in the sanctuary --earlier for disrupting the church's services earlier that morning. This past Sunday was most unpleasant. Seeing how the NFL is cracking down on churches and other organization advertising Super Bowl parties, there's a big possibility that there will never be such a party at church again. That's fine with me.

Sadiq At The Sabre Room

The gym was closed last night, and I didn't go to Sadiq's fight at the Sabre Room. Went to the movies instead, got a bag of free popcorn (you bring your own bag or bowl on Wednesday nights and get free popcorn), and saw The Queen, which was a good flick. When I got home, I watched "The Janet Dickenson Modeling Agency" and did my physical therapy exercises.

Today, I got an email from Steve about what happened last night, and it wasn't pretty. He said that Sadiq's mind wasn't on the fight. It appeared that Sadiq didn't want to fight, but Steve told him he couldn't back out at the last minute. Sadiq's wife wanted to come along at the last minute and that was a 40-minute wait for Steve while they got themselves together to gather their stuff and get in his car. "The Nigerian Nightmare" appeared to be nervous and slept most of the way out to the Sabre Room.

Sadiq's opponent, a kid from Windy City Gym, didn't appear to be that much of a threat to Steve, but in the first round, Sadiq was caught with a body shot. It appeared he had been hurt. Then the other kid pushed and cuffed Sadiq all around the ring. During the second round, the kid caught him against the ropes and threw a lot of punches that weren't answered. He won part of that round, however, and won the third round, but not in a strong way. In-between rounds, Sadiq was throwing up in the bucket in the corner. It was a close decision, and Sadiq lost. Steve said it could have gone either way, but Sadiq looked lethargic, and didn't appear to be in control inside the ring.

Slippin' and Fallin'

On the way to church today, I slid most of the way down the street. It had snowed, and the light dusting covered the patches of ice. A half-block away from the church, I slipped and fell to the ground. Later, I slipped on a bus due to coffee that was carelessly spilled on the floor. I called Les to remind him I had to see the physical therapist again tomorrow, and he joked, "Just don't go rollerblading tonight."

Just as it seemed my right knee was getting better, it seems to have suffered a setback. I was in the grocery store, when my knee gave way for a moment. I had to grab onto the shopping cart to keep from falling.

Jumping rope is still out of the question, although I can do some light bouncing on the old tire in the gym. Squats and "girl" push-ups are impossible because of the pain. The situation has become frustrating. I wish there was some way to speed the healing up, but the cartilage is highly stubborn.

Missing Or Not

Just occurred to me that James has not been in the gym for awhile. He was the one who showed up a week before the Winter session began. He said he had long wanted to take up boxing. He's wasn't the only newbie missing last night.

The ones who did come in, I showed them how to use the speed bag and the double end bag. The women, in particular, were worried about the bags hitting them in the face. The only way a speed bag is going to do that is if you are right up on it. The double end bag is a different story, and there was a new, bigger one up last night. The bladder had gone out on the old one.

Betty and I really want to learn how to work the pads better, so we did that last night. Now I wasn't doing much last night because a slight cold was bothering me, and I wasn't into the overall workout. Working on the pads did work up a sweat, which I needed. I've been concerned about not getting enough exercise ever since my right knee's been jacked up.

Keith was in last night, and actually did a workout. I was surprised. Steve ran him, Mike and Sadiq through various exercise drills last night. Junior is expected back from North Carolina next week, so he'll be in the training mix, too, for the Golden Gloves.

More Arrivals

Four people who were not in the gym last week showed up last night -- three women and one guy. Steve was working with Mike, so he asked me to show them how to stand, how to get into their guard and the left jab. They all seemed enthusiastic about learning. I was surprised when one of the women, Maggie, asked how soon it would be before they could get into the ring. Based on what I've observed, it is rare that any woman who comes into the gym asks about sparring. Even I had to be coaxed into it, despite the fact that I had done some sparring at Degerberg before I began at Loyola Park.

Raquel is back, but her friend Bregina will probably not return. Both Racquel and Betty said they liked coming to Loyola Park, because it's not a pick-up place like some of the more well-known gyms appear to be.

Didn't get much of a workout last night, but I didn't mind because I like teaching others the basics. Besides, I was a bit tired, and my right knee is still acting funny. I received exercises from the physical therapist I saw earlier that morning. This morning, I did them, and my knee cracked and popped loudly. Sometimes I wonder if this is just the beginning of joint problems that will plague me for the rest of my life. Being sidelined and/or slowed down is not a happy thought for someone who is as active as I am.

Clearing Out Of The Gym

I don't get it. Every session, Steve has a group lesson with the newbies in the beginning of the evening. Afterwards, he tells them they can practice their new skills on the bags. Instead, the majority of them clear out of the gym faster than Speed Racer crossing the finish line in his Mach Five race car. They see the rest of us working out, so I don't know why they think they can't hang around until the end of the night, too.

I believe all of the new people came in this past Friday with the exception of one person. Sadiq came in and did some sparring with Javonte and Rias. No sign of Keith, and Junior won't be back until February. Javonte is looking better and better. He was working with Steve and slipping punches very well.

My right knee was well enough to do step exercises. I wasn't hurting when I woke up the following morning. Still not too keen on jumping rope, running, or doing push ups (I do the so-called "girl" ones on my knees). I'm happy that I'll be able to stand on the stage tomorrow during the charity cabaret show I'm in and not grimace in pain while singing. Later this week, I'll see the physical therapist.

Will They Stay Or Go?

As usual, Steve and I had the usual conversation we always have at the beginning of a new session -- "Who do you think will stay and who do you think will go?" Rehearsal for a cabaret show I'm in on Monday ended early, so I went straight to the gym. Couldn't work out because I was in my street clothes and I didn't have workout clothes with me. But I just had to see who the new people were.

There were six guys and one woman. The sixth guy stood outside the ring and observed as Steve showed the other people basic moves. That guy had told Steve ealier that he wanted to wait until Friday to start. "I don't know if he'll ever come in again. The guy didn't appear to have the confidence to really get involved with the sport," Steve said. I figured that the new woman probably wouldn't be there by the end of the month. Same old story: most of the women who come in don't last. Sarah and Betty were in the gym last night, so the new woman was aware that other females train there. Unfortunately, that is not always enough to keep females coming back. I do what I can to encourage them, but if they don't want to continue, there's not much that can be done.

Betty told me about a combination she saw a boxer dole out to another boxer at a live fight she saw. Jab, jab, followed by two right hooks, the second a little harder than the first. "Blood flew everywhere when the guy was hit with second hook," she said. I have to remember that combination. Indeed, I need to work on more of those, period, "putting the punches together", as Teddy Atlas always says.

Avoiding Surgery

Yay! The doctor told me I didn't need surgery on my right knee. I strained it, and a month of physical therapy should help heal it. However, it was discovered I have arthritis in BOTH knees. "Oh, damn!" as Martin Lawrence would say. Still had a decent workout despite of the feeling of needles being pushed in the damaged knee. I won't be jumping rope or doing step exercises for awhile, unfortunately.

The 150 pound heavy bag broke off of the chain and fell to the floor. Erin and Jose were hitting the bag at the time. We all had fun pretending it was a fallen boxer or a fallen wrestler for a moment. Steve had his foot on it yelling, "WWE! WWE!" I was talking about, "TNA Wrestling! And here is Samoa Joe!" The defective chain was replaced and the bag re-hung. The 75 lb bag was discovered to have sand leaking from it, so Steve and Mike pulled out the duct tape. They really did a good job patching it up.

Keith promised that he would be in next week to begin his training for the Golden Gloves. Seems that he visited the Evanston Boxing Gym, and the coach there expressed interest in Keith fighting for them. Keith turned it down, but he is considering getting sparring there.

I had my dates mixed up: the Winter session starts next week. A guy named James showed up tonight with the intent of signing up. He told me he had intended to come in a couple of sessions ago. I hope he comes in next week.

Eli Visits The Gym

Steve had his son with him, explaining that his wife thought he wasn't going to be working that evening. She had gone to a party for a friend. I wish I had my camera with me, as Steve had Eli in his arms, putting the boy close enough to the heavy bags to throw a few punches. "He likes to jab, but I'm trying to get him to hook off of the jab," Steve joked.

Yale came in. He used to train at the Loyola Park gym years ago when the late Harlein Holden was the coach. I held pads for Yale and he did the same for me. I had a good workout, despite the limited mobility in my right knee.

Found out a little more about the situation with Sadiq's belt, and why his wife has possession of it. There is some martial discord going on between him and and his wife. That's a shame because he and Lauren haven't been married very long.

I believe next week begins the winter session for the Chicago Park District, so they'll probably be a lot of new faces in the gym. I have to see a doctor about my knee earlier that day. Hopefully, I won't show up to the gym on a cane.

Viewing Rocky

Both Gabe and I had seen the new movie Rocky Balboa. That character is like a celluoid patron saint to a lot of boxers. Gabe slipped and told the ending of the film to Steve, who exclaimed, "Man, you just ruined the movie for me!" Steve said he'd still like to see it, however. The movie is not one of the best in the series, but it does what it is supposed to do -- tie up the 30 year old movie series. Kinda of hard to believe that I was 15 years old when the first Rocky movie premiered.

Sparring was intense Friday night, with Sadiq, Gabe, Nate Sr., Jovan and Lavar participating. None of the other women came in, but even if they had, my right knee still wasn't stable enough to do a lot of jumping around. The guys exhibited a lot of energy, and they did a lot of good work.

Light Attendance

It appears that I haven't written here in awhile. It's a combination of forgetfulness and nothing much going on because of the lull during the holidays. Junior went out of town to see his mom, and several others are out right now, as well.

Raymond, who had originally trained under Barry, has been coming in more often. I overheard him asking Erin if she and I were the only females who come to the gym. Erin told him there were a few others, but they haven't been in recently. Betty had some minor surgery, and was in last week. She may not have come in last night because of still having to take it easy. Breagina disappeared some time ago, and Racquel has not come in for awhile. Lan will be back to her military duties in January, and she might already be gone. Helen dropped out again, and other new women backed out early on, as well.

Raymond did some light sparring with Bovino after Steve bragged about him having fast hands. It was true; Raymond's fists were flying. Not bad for a guy who hasn't been in regular training for three years.

Steve asked if I wanted to spar with Erin, but I begged off due to my right knee still being jacked up. It's been ten days since I slipped on the ice on the way to church. My knees is still stiff, swollen, and painful. It has been hard going trying to work out properly because I can't move around like I want.

Sadiq said his wife took the belt he won at the Barney Ross tournament back during the summer, and for some reason, she won't give it back. That sounded odd to me, but not wanting to get all in his business, I didn't ask Sadiq why.

Birthday At The Gym

Some of the guys asked me why did I come to the gym on my birthday. "You could have gone to the club," Sadiq said. Way too cold this past Friday to get all dressed up to go out. Besides, I liked that I spent the evening of my birthday down at the gym. I hadn't planned anything for that day other than being off from work and buying a new pair of roller skates. A rather low-key day. We were there until a little after 9:00 PM, so I got in a good workout, especially on the double end bag.

Sadiq was fine when he came in, but his stomach started giving him trouble. He was laying down most of the evening. Bad thing about that was that he still had to go to his night job later. Junior had called Steve to say he wasn't coming in. It was too cold for him to ride down on his bike. Junior is rather frugal, so paying money to ride public transportation was not an option for him. The only other woman who was there was Sarah. She said she wouldn't mind sparring with Erin, but Erin didn't come in that night.

Bangin' At Brooks

Junior's arm has been bothering him, so he didn't take a match last night at Brooks Park. Mike and Sadiq weighed in, but neither were successful in getting a match. Sadiq had one lined up for a minute, then it disappeared. That left teenagers Montrell and Lavar to represent Loyola Park.

Lavar showboated quite a bit during his match, but he got the split decision. I believe he was fighting one of Brooks' fighters, and it looked as if the other boy had tired Lavar out, especially during the last round. The crowd was not happy as they booed him afterwards.

Montrell's match ended quickly. His opponent was knocked to the canvas by what appeared to be a series of punches. The other kid was out of it for a second, and had to see the paramedics on duty. After several minutes, he was okay. "I wanted it to go to full three rounds," Montrell said afterwards.

Kitchens was there, but he didn't have the pictures he took of me with the Secretary of State several weeks ago. As usual, I had just enough money in my pocket to pay him, but I'll have to wait until I see him again. Steve teased me by saying, "There's your boyfriend." He really would have been teasing me if he had heard the photographer greet me earlier by saying, "Hi, pretty!"

Steve dropped Sadiq off at his job after the boxing show ended. He's a night clerk at a motel that sits in an area of town where many motels line the street. Sadiq explained that a lot of hookers, johns and drug dealers come in to rent rooms. Management doesn't like to rent to them, but when business is slow, they have no choice.

Steve's son, Eli, was in the car earlier when Steve picked me up from work. He looks more and more like his dad every day. The baby has the most adorable puffy cheeks, too. Eli was smiling for a long time, then he was crying on and off. I noticed he was furiously rubbing his eyes, and guessed correctly that he was attempting to fight off sleep.

Tournament Style

Steve had some of the guys sparring in a tournament-style manner this past Friday, to get them used to what that is. Junior and I scored the matches along with Steve.

Jose was in at one point against Sadiq, who promptly popped him in the nose. That session was stopped because Jose was bleeding on the canvas. Tall Joe had a session stopped on him, too, after he was overwhelmed by Sadiq. Unfortunately, Tony did not come that night, although he seemed very enthusiastic about participating in the sparring sessions.

Danny surprised me by telling me he sings in the choir at his church. He also said that he enjoys the services. I never think of any of the guys as being particularly religious, except for Muhammad, who is a Muslim. Occassionally, Junior will ask me questions about God and the Bible, but he admits he hasn't been to church in a long while.

Raymond, a guy who trained originally with Barry, showed up with a friend of his named Alexis. It appeared that Alexis was hyped up about going to the gym, but once she got there and found out what was really involved, she backed down. Raymond and Steve talked with her, and I tried to be encouraging, but it didn't seem to do any good. I doubt that she'll return.

Branding and Tats

After a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, it was back to the training in the gym. No sooner had I got inside, Junior announced that he got a tattoo. Mike's ex-wife is a tattoo artist, so Junior got a hook up on a free one. It is a tattoo of a bull, and it looks very nice. He had just gotten it done on Tuesday.

Tony came in with Bovino, a big guy who not only had tats but brands on both of his arms. He explained to me that one was the ancharchy sign, one was a design he made up, and another was a symbol reflecting his Serbian heritage.

I had a very energetic workout last night. Maybe it was because of the time I had off that I had so much of it to expend. A doctor's visit I had the day before propelled me to work a little harder. I ran out of my high blood pressure pills, and I was required to see my doctor before I could get another refill. He had to check me out to make sure I was still doing okay. "Your chloresterol is high, your blood pressure's a little high, and your blood sugar is slightly off." Damn, I thought to myself. That's all I need, having diabetes on top of hypertension. I figured that I wouldn't be able to dodge the high blood pressure bullet--my dad and his mother had it, too. However, they and my maternal grandmother also had diabetes. The doctor's words to me were another hint that I need to stop goofing around and take better care of myself. Daily insulin shots do not sound appealing to me, so I have to work harder to avoid having to deal with that situation.

Tony's Request and Lan's Return

Yes, this is a picture of me, taken some time ago for a church bulletin board. I have plans to actually post some pictures of the gym on here soon.

Tony, the MMA pro, asked if Steve would work his corner during an upcoming fight he has. "Man, I don't know anything about MMA!" Steve told him, but Tony assured him there would be a cut person in the corner also, who is experienced with MMA bouts. Steve agreed to do it, and I'll be curious as to how it turns out.

Lan came in last night, and it was so good to see her! She is fresh off of doing military duties in Missouri. She explained that she will be attending officers' school in a few months. Lan said that she hadn't been doing much in boxing since she was gone, but it didn't seem that way. Her work on the bags looked as if she hadn't missed a beat. Steve told her that she and Racquel would probably be well-matched sparring partners, as they are about the same weight.

Junior came in with a new haircut, given to him by Mort. "It looks terrible!" he kept saying. Mort had cut all of Junior's hair off. A little peach fuzz was left, but other than that, it looked fine to me.

Amazingly, the radio stayed on the station I put it on the entire evening. Not that I care if one of the guys changes the station. It's a running joke to me to see how long before they notice the station is not playing the constant hip-hop they like. I had it on the smooth jazz station, and a Luther Vandross song came on. Tommy said, "That's Luther! I still miss him!" "So do I," I said. Tommy walked over to Jermaine, and told me, "Watch this." He asked Jermaine who was singing on the radio. "Gerald Levert?" Jermaine answered. Both singers are now deceased, true enough, but Jermaine wasn't even close. Both Tommy and I fell out laughing. "These young folks don't know anything about old school music!" he said.

MMA Knockdown

Tony, a guy who is a professional MMA fighter, came by the gym Friday night to get some boxing training in. If you've seen MMA matches, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championships, you know that boxing moves are a small part of that. He ended up sparring with Sadiq. I was working on the double end bag, so I wasn't paying much attention, until I heard several people go "Whoa!"

I looked up to see Tony on one knee on the canvas. He was holding his ribs. Sadiq had retreated into a nearby corner. "That was a hard body blow," Junior said. "You can't hit someone while they are on the way down," Steve told Sadiq. "Is that illegal?" Sadiq asked, and Steve confirmed that it was.

Highway Robbery

Junior was straight up robbed out of a decision that should have gone to him. He had a match out in Michigan City, IN on Saturday night. The video of the match clearly showed that Junior was superior to the kid he fought. However, the kid's stepmom was one of the judges. She can be seen on the tape at the end of the match, writing on her score card, not looking into the ring. I wondered if she had watched any of the match at all.

Racquel brought her boyfriend Ken in with her last night. He was curious about the gym and wanted to check things out. I could have sworn I heard some disappointed sighs from some of the single guys. Racquel is very pretty, and I know some of them had been checking her out.

I held pads for a new guy. Didn't get his name. He kept mixing up his punches, throwing a left when he should have been throwing rights. He had an excuse because he's a beginner; what was bad was I wasn't even catching that he was doing that initially. My dad used to tell me, "I wonder where your mind is at," and sometimes I wonder myself. I really wasn't doing a good job of observing. Have to work on that.

One Tired Chick

I feel better today, but last Friday, I was dragging like a big dog in the gym. Good thing Steve didn't do interval training, or I would have been out for the count. That flu really zapped my strength.

Found my copy of a book of workouts by famous boxers. Should have brought it in to work today to make copies of some of the information. In 2007, I have to step up my game. I've said that before, but now that I'm doing a little coaching, I don't think it looks good for me to be a little butterball. I was on the scale last Friday, and I did lose about five pounds. The weight loss has to continue at this point. Don't I want to be off of my high blood pressure pills? Yes! Do I want the diabetes that plagued my dad the last 20 some odd years of his life? Nope!

The guy who wrote the boxing workout book really put an emphasis on roadwork. He insisted that one should get up early to run. If one lives in the country, or in some area that has guaranteed low crime, yeah. Not in the city in the dark before the sun comes up. That is a daytime activity only, in heavy populated areas, or inside on a track. I don't like to run anymore, which is a shame, really. I loved to run when I was a kid.

Steve suggested that I jump rope in my apartment. The ceiling is high enough, but there's a fan there, too. I see myself tangling the rope in it, and the lights on the floor. The landlord would make me pay for the damages, of course. The laundry room would be a good spot if the floor wasn't hard unforgiving concrete. It's back to the power walking DVDs for the fall and winter. Now if I can only figure out why my DVD player suddenly refuses to show anything in color. . . .

Sidetracked By The Flu

I spent most of the week holed up in my apartment, suffering from the flu. I did not go to the gym on Wednesday, but I did go last night. It was a tough workout, as I was still weak from being ill. Crystal did not show up, so I figured that she may have received not-so-good-news from her doctor. Haven't officially heard anything, so I'm still wondering.

For the second Friday in a row, the gym was packed. Sadiq and Mort were pounding each other during their sparring session, no matter how many times Steve told the both of them to work with each other. People let their emotions get involved, figuring, if they get hit hard, they're going to return equal firepower. Jason also sparred with a newer guy, a tall blond whose name I can't remember yet.

Junior held mitts for several people, and they were impressed. "I know he's good in the ring," Rios said, "but I didn't know he was also that good on the mitts." It's been at least a year since the last time Junior held mitts for me, and yes, he does have a skill with doing that. He was amazed that Raquel did several rounds on the mitts. "She never got tired!" he exclaimed. I need to hold mitts for people more often so I get better at that.

Got on the digital scale and noticed I lost about 5 pounds. Steve pointed out that I always say I've lost a little weight everytime I get on the scale. "The weight is going down at a glacial pace, but it is moving," I told him. Some of the weight loss was probably due to the fact that I was sick, but I was still eating. I just wasn't eating the usual junk.

Collapsing Onto The Canvas

Crystal told me she only sparred once before in the kids' boxing class. Erin had never sparred before at all. Steve felt they were ready to try it out, so he had them in the ring. He sat on the outside observing, while I was on the inside of the ring with the fighters. The first two rounds consisted of a light drill of throwing and catching jabs. The women sparred in the third round, but I asked them to keep that light, as well.

Both told Steve they were up to doing a third round. Erin backed Crystal into the corner, but the punches were extremely hard. Crystal remained on the defensive, as she had in the previous round. Suddenly, Crystal held her stomach and keeled over onto the canvas.

Steve and I removed her protective gear and gave as much first aid as we could. Crystal admitted that she has always had head pains since she was a child. An accident where she tripped on a treadmill and hit her head on a rail made things worse. When she works out hard, the pains come on, and she gets dizzy and nauseated. She was crying out of embarrassment as a gym full of folks stood by and stared. As it was the end of the evening, Steve cleared everyone out of the gym except for myself, Crystal and Erin. He went to the front desk to call Crystal's mother and get an accident report form.

Erin was very concerned and worried, but Crystal assured her that it wasn't her fault. When Jenna, Crystal's mother arrived, Steve explained what happened. She was given a copy of the accident report to take with her to the hospital. However, I learned from Barry on Saturday, that Crystal did not go to the hospital that night. She and her mom will go to the doctor on Wednesday.

The incident bothered me all weekend. It appears that Crystal may have a pre-existing medical condition, one that may exclude her from participating in any strenuous sport. I also worried that Erin may be hesitant about sparring again.

Barking Out Orders

Wednesday evening was really a productive time in the gym. I taught uppercuts and some defense to Rachel and Helen. The gym was rather full, which was surprising to me. It had rained late that afternoon, and the ground was slippery with the falling leaves. I had expected that many people wouldn't come in.

Steve was not feeling well. Poor guy seems to always have a sore throat and other cold/flu symptoms every time I turn around, especially this time of year. He had also did some damage to a rotator cuff, so there wasn't a whole lot he was able to do that night. He called for the fighters to do interval training. "Could you keep them pumped up throughout the exercise? I can barely talk," he said. Five rounds were done. I sat on the side, barking out encouragement and orders as people alternated between punching the heavy bags at half-speed, then as fast as they could. "Keep your guard up! Don't lose your form! Go, go, go!" I admit I got carried away a few times, continuing to yell after the round had ended. It was fun.

No Crystal again, although I hope she comes in on Friday. Joe, who hadn't been in for awhile, surprised all by coming in. He drove Steve and I home in a car he brought from Junior. It's an old beater that has some problems, but luckily, Joe knows a little about fixing cars. If I knew more about the inner workings of autos, I would probably go pick up an old car and fix it up. Public transportation is just horrible in Chicago right now -- constant reroutes due to construction, and endless delays. Another couple of train lines have been moved around due to a bad building fire a few days ago. The building is right next to the tracks, and there is fear that debris may fall on the passing trains. A car has become a necessity for me, not a luxury.

Familiar Faces and Citizenship

John, who used to come in on a regular basis, showed up to work out last night. He's a lawyer by trade, I believe. His young son, Josh, came in after finishing up a basketball game. John had competed in the Golden Gloves back in the 1970s, when he was a teen (I don't think John is much older than I am). "They used 12 ounce gloves, and no headgear," he said.

The bigger surprise was seeing Betty, who used to attend the gym a year or so ago. Her aunt blessed her with a car, so now she believes she'll be able to come back and workout. I sparred with her once--she has to be nearly 6 feet tall. She's not fat, but she's not a small woman, either. Her fist came down on my head during the last round we sparred. My neck hurt and I had a slight headache for awhile.

Sadiq asked Steve to help him fill out an application for citizenship. Sadiq is originally from Nigeria. He wants to be very careful that he fills out the forms correctly. I noticed that he had to fill out two sets, and both of them looked like novels. There's no doubt that in the post 9/11 world, the government is making it even harder for someone to become a citizen.

My Boss Vs. Boxing

"The agency can't promote fighting," Les told me after he told me to take down a picture I had up on my door. It showed a businessman in a suit wearing boxing gloves with the title "Fight Club".

Let me explain something about where I work: I regularly witness the kids who live on the premises being disrespectful to staff. There are times when kids have to be placed in restraints because they go totally out of control. Most of the kids have no qualms about assaulting staff. I remember one person who walked around with bruises and black eyes for days after a kid caught them in a corner and beat them down. What the kids do is closer to no holds barred streetfighting, as opposed to boxing, which is a sport with rules. And yes, it is apparent that most of them knew how to punch, scratch and kick long before they ended up in the agency's care.

Later, I left a message for Les that basicially said I don't think he knows the difference between a fight on the street and a fight in a ring. He didn't comment on what I said, but that doesn't negate the fact. I don't think a boxing poster in my office has much influence on any of the kids' behavior. For one thing, they seldom come in my office, and truthfully, I would prefer that they don't. Second of all, I don't think they are paying that much attention to what is in my office, or to me, for that matter.

I was told I had to go to a mandatory meeting on Friday, despite the fact that it was geared towards the staff who work directly with the kids. I had to walk inbetween two buildings to get to the meeting, and it was cold. I put my warm hoodie on, and kept it on during the meeting, as it was cold in the room where the meeting was held. The president of the agency was running the meeting. It occurred to me that maybe Les might not have appreciated me wearing the hoodie. You see, it reads "Golden Gloves Boxing since 1923" in bold yellow letters set against blue fabric. I have worn it, as well as another hoodie that has "Ringside" emblazened across the front of it, often to my job. Funny. . . .I never noticed any of the kids spontaneously breaking out into fist fights when I've worn it. Uh-huh.

Hangin' At Hamlin

The best thing about being at Hamlin last night was not having to deal with Tony. He wasn't there. The bad thing was that none of the Loyola boxers got any matches. I figured there wouldn't be anyone for Keith. He's about 200 pounds and there seems to not be many guys in his category. However, Sadiq could have been easily matched up. There was someone available, but when Steve tried to get him in, the reply was, "Nope, he's too good." What was that supposed to mean? Junior already knew there were no matches for him, so he didn't come out yesterday. Emmanuel, who boxes out of Clarendon, showed up too late to get a fight. Kevin, who was also in attendance, didn't get a match, either, which is surprising. Usually the kids are easier to match up than the adults. Steve and Barry decided to stick around to help out Bill, so we all (except Keith and his girlfriend) stayed. Seems Bill didn't have enough people to work the glove table.

Spoke to the Secretary of State. . . .he was one of the special guests giving out trophies to the boxers. Kitching (I keep calling him Kitchen) took a picture of us. The Secretary of State does not know me well, but he was a good buddy of my late dad for about 40 years.

Barry told me that the other teen girl whom was supposed to train in the adult class probably hasn't been showing up because she feels discouraged. She wanted to get fights during the last boxing shows, but came up empty. I know the feeling. She shouldn't give up; I wish I could talk to her and give her encouragement. After all, being way younger than me, she still has a chance.

Jesse, one of the women who fights out of Hamlin, won her match. She's a slight built person, but very tough. I remember watching her at the Golden Gloves earlier this year. She took a beating from her opponent, and was very bloodied up. Jesse never backed down, though. She zapped her opponent last night with a jab immediately after the bell. The other woman fell to the canvas, then got an eight-count. It was downhill after that, and Jesse got the decision.

Kevin is about the funniest kid I know right now. On the ride home, he was telling us about a game involving a maze that he has played at a church. If you follow directions and go the right way inside the maze, you end up in "heaven" where candy awaits. If you decide to go your own way and not listen to advice, "hell" awaits. I understood immediately that the game was a tool to teach basic Christian concepts. Kevin said one of the kids ended up in "hell" several times before finally making it to "heaven". It was the way he said things that had Steve, Sadiq and I cracking up.

Interval Training and Left Hooks

I spent most of the time last night going over how to throw left hooks with the women who showed up. Crystal wasn't there last night, unfortunately, but she did tell me she has a job through her high school. Perhaps she was delayed too late to make it down.

Still not sure about the crop of new women who are there now. It's been three weeks, and they are still around, so that is good sign so far. The new men disappeared for the most part, although I did notice one guy who did not look familiar.

Happily, despite all the time I spent with the women, I was able to get some of a workout in. Steve had us do interval training: hit the back hard for 30 seconds, then at half-speed for thirty seconds, through an entire round for several rounds. Tiring, but an excellent exercise. None of the new people took part. I believe most of them had gone right before or during that portion.

Tonight is Hamlin's boxing show, which unfortunately means another encounter with Tony, the coach's son. He hasn't called in a few days, so maybe he took the hint that we aren't compatible. I hope so, especially since I know his motives for getting with me are highly suspect. Perhaps he'll curse me out for not calling him or not picking up the phone when he called me. Doesn't matter; he's gone.

Boxing Entertainment

A friend who runs another blog posted a lot of movie quotes for readers to guess. It got me thinking about what good entertainment is out there that pertains to boxing. When you need to be fired up before a match or want to watch stories about the ups and downs of the boxing world, here are some that I thought were decent.

Movies and Documentaries:

Rocky (1976)
The first and best of the Rocky saga.

Against The Ropes (2004)
Story based on the life of Jackie Kallen (played by Meg Ryan), the first female boxing promoter. "He's messin' with my fighter!"

Girlfight (2000)
Latina tomboy channels her anger into the boxing ring. "You know, they say love kills you in the ring."

Shadow Boxers (1999)
Documentary about female boxers, focusing a lot on Lucia Rijker.

Body and Soul (1947)
John Garfield as a tough boxer beset by underhanded promoters and his own ego. "What are you gonna do? Kill me? Everybody dies."

Requiem For A Heavyweight (1962)
Somber tale of a worn out fighter (played by Anthony Quinn) at the end of his career. "He's been chasing ghosts so long, he'll believe anything."

Songs to work out to or to enter the ring before a fight:

Mama Said Knock You Out -- LL Cool J
Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down -- Brand Nubians
My Prerogative -- Bobby Brown
Hit Me With Your Best Shot -- Pat Benetar
Hand On The Pump -- Cypress Hill
Eye Of The Tiger -- Survivor
Survivor -- Destiny's Child
Jump -- Van Halen
Bad To The Bone -- George Thorgood and the Destroyers
The Vapors -- Biz Markie
Get Up and Get Down -- The Dramatics
What You See Is What You Get -- The Dramatics
Engine No. 9 -- Wilson Pickett
Dirty Water -- The Standells
Oye Como Va -- Santana
Cult of Personality -- In Living Color
Rock This Funke Joint -- Poor Righteous Teachers
I Reminisce (Over You) -- Pete Rock
Jump Around -- House Of Pain
Deep Cover -- Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
Walk On -- CeCe Penniston
Paid The Cost To Be Boss -- James Brown
The Big Payback -- James Brown
Papa Don't Take No Mess -- James Brown
Don't Tell It -- James Brown
My Part/Make It Funky -- James Brown

Three Hard Rounds

Erin did not come in the gym on Friday night, so Crystal did not get to spar. I ended up sparring with Sarah. "I want you two to do three hard rounds," Steve said. Whoops. I hadn't been exactly eating healthy the whole week, and had slacked off on exercising the other days as well. Time for me to get my behind whipped again, I thought as I stepped into the ring.

Sarah's punches came flying consistently, as they always do. However, this time, I did manage to avoid some of them. Not a lot, just a few. Steve kept saying, "Don't stand right in front of her. Move around!" I don't know why I just stand there and take punches like that. Has to be some psychological issue that has yet to be resolved. I attempted to throw body shots, since I am much shorter. It was harder to be an inside fighter than I thought. Sarah's arms were in the way, and I could hardly get close enough. The next idea was to go for her face and head. About three or four times, my right hand connected. Surprised the hell out of me.

When the rounds were over, I literally laid down in the middle of the ring. During the sparring, I noticed Crystal and Helen off to the side watching. Later Crystal told me, "When you hit her, you really hit her!" Sadiq said in amazement, "I had never seen you spar before!" Sarah touched her lip and said, "You got me good. I think I'm going to be puffy later on."

After Steve dropped me off, I trudged upstairs to my aparment and collasped on my couch for several minutes. Sarah had caught me hard in the head with one of her punches, and the spot was tender. Hadn't been that tired and sore in awhile. Sparring always points out to me that I need to do more exercise. That is especially true now that I won't be able to roam outside for long periods of time for much longer due to the weather.

Adventures In Coaching

Hmm. . .I have a lot to learn about coaching. I've spent extra time over the past couple of weeks going over the boxing books I have. Still feel a little unsure at times, though. Makes me glad that Steve and Barry are nearby.

Crystal (I think I've been calling the girl "Kristin") came in last night, and we worked on footwork and combinations. I put on a pair of punch mitts, being mindful of how I badly broke a nail using them a few weeks ago. That nail is finally growing back. The mitts I had on were a pair of Steve's, and they were more stable than the others I had used. I should bring in the mitts I have at home in the closet. They are practically brand new.

I saw that Crystal needs more practice with her footwork. She starts out a little crooked in her stance, which translates into not exactly being in proper position for footwork. She gets the concept, however. It's just a matter of fine tuning it. She's also a southpaw, which means I have to think of the punches in the opposite direction, since I'm right-handed. One of the boxing books I have is unusual as the boxers in the pictures are both southpaws. They use terms like front jab and rear foot to avoid saying "left" or "right". I found myself explaining the punches to Crystal like that last night as not to confuse myself.

Steve suggested that Crystal and Erin spar together on Friday. Crystal told me she has sparred once; Erin hasn't sparred at all, but she's been working with Steve on the mitts. Neither Steve or I were sure if Erin had a mouthpiece. There aren't any extra ones in the gym, I don't think. If Crystal doesn't show up, or she doesn't want to spar, Steve suggested that I spar with Erin. I have to watch my right hand if I do. Like my late dad, I have heavy hands.

Tony called around 11:00 PM last night. ESPN Classic was showing an hour of Joe Frazier's fights, so I didn't answer my phone. I usually don't answer it that late anyway. The message light on the caller ID went on. When I checked it during a commercial break, all I heard was Tony hanging up his phone. He's done that before, and it never ceases to be annoying. The last few times he did that, he had the nerve to admit he had listened to my outgoing message a few times. Uh, voice mail is designed to leave messages for the person who is being called. Not that I want to talk to him--he's already written off--but common courtesy is in order.

Have to let Margaret, the choir director at my church, know that I won't be in rehearsal next week due to Hamlin Park's boxing show. I already know that is not going to go over well, especially since the choir will probably start going over Christmas music soon.

Surprise Win

Keith surprised me by winning his match during Friday's boxing show at our fieldhouse. The surprise comes because Keith has not been in to workout often. He threw some very wild punches, yet the ones that connected really hurt his opponent.

Steve, Barry, Nate Sr., and myself worked the corners that night. I think Diego was the only Loyola boxer who did not win that evening. Sadiq and Kevin won extra trophies for the extra effort they put in over the past year in the ring. I took a lot of pictures with my ancient 35mm camera. I hope all of them turn out.

Some people just don't take hints or direct statements well, and Tony appears to be one of those people. He had been bugging Steve about where I was before I got to the fieldhouse. Steve caught me rolling my eyes when he told me Tony was looking for me. All that evening, Tony kept following me like an piece of toilet paper stuck to a shoe. I told him that I was not interested in being a stepmom to his kid, or dealing with his baby's mama drama (which he keeps claiming is non-existent). Nor did I like the fact he is a 35 year old man still living at home with his mama. "When are you going to call me?" he asks, instead of taking the hints and moving on. "I'm busy," I said drily. Maybe when he notices I'm not calling him or taking his phone calls.

"I'm working on that," was his response to my complaining about him living at home. Tony has two jobs, or so he told me. What is there to work on? Is he waiting until he turns 40? I don't sense any urgency on his part to get his own place. Not that I'd be interested in dating him even if he did. Someone that old usually is too comfortable to get up off their behind. My parents were wishing out loud for my 18th birthday to come and using road maps as place mats on the breakfast table when I was home. Maybe his mama is not pushing him or his brothers hard enough to hit the road.

His conversation was just idiotic. Bad impressions of famous boxers, complaining about the pizza that had been ordered for the coaches and officials, making fun of the fieldhouse, griping about the north side of the city, and numerous inane jokes. Tony was talking silly to a teenaged girl who he knew. I also heard him talking about going to a club. Now there's a difference between people under and over 30 talking about club-hopping. Most of us over 30 no longer view always hanging at the clubs or bars, for that matter, as a lifestyle. Tony sounded as if he hadn't gotten to that point in his development.

What Training Ain't

It's always a red flag when a new person has the expectation of personal training in the gym. No matter how many times Steve explains to the new people that the class is not set up for one-on-one, like he did last night, the expectation continues to exist. I worked with several of the new people, but there's always the realization that some will be gone before the month is out. Most of boxing involves self-motivation, and if some don't possess it, well, so much for that.

The place was packed last night. I enjoyed myself a lot, especially coming off of another crappy day in a week where everybody and everything at my job is working my last damn nerve. Boxing does take some of the edge of my naturally bad temper, but there's only so much I'm going to tolerate at any time.

Turned in my volunteer application to Mary last night, so I will become an official Park District volunteer soon. Don't know why I didn't do it sooner. Steve had brought it up to me at least a year or more ago.

The son of a coach at another fieldhouse has been bugging me for a date--I mentioned him a couple of posts back. We met at the Clarendon Park boxing show that took place recently. I keep dropping hints that it's not going to work--he gives the impression that he doesn't exactly look after the kid he has, there is a baby's mama on the scene, and he still lives at home with his mama. His devotion to boxing is suspect, as well. He was supposed to help his dad out while at Clarendon, but he spent his time bugging me and slapping hands with his friends. The guy may show up at the boxing show tomorrow night. If he does, I'm going to be very clear that there will be no "us". He seems like the type that won't understand "no". I would hate to have to insult him to get the message through.

The New Girl

Kristin is in the youth program, and Barry decided that she should also come in with the adult boxing program as well. She's 17 years old, and shows promise. Barry told her and her mother that I would train her. We went over the basics, including footwork, this past Friday. There was supposed to be another girl from the youth program stopping in, but I haven't seen her yet.

Kristin's mom confessed that she is not crazy about her daughter being in boxing. However, it is something positive. Her mom felt more at ease when I told her I was "the old woman in the gym". I think she felt better about someone looking out for Kristin.

I called Tony, the guy I met at Clarendon's boxing show last week, on Saturday, out of curiosity. I guessed correctly--he lives with his mama, something he had no shame in freely admitting. His brothers, who all have kids and baby's mamas to match, are all at home, too. "I usually don't date men with kids," I told him. I dated one of those before. He had two kids and lived with his grandmother because he was irresponsible about taking care of his financial business, and his life in general. I ain't got time for that anymore. Unfortunately, he may show up at the boxing show at Loyola's fieldhouse this Friday night. He didn't take hints during our phone conversation that we aren't going to work, so I guess I'll have to be a little more forceful and rude if he bugs me then.

Mary gave me a volunteer form to fill out, so I can officially help out in the gym. Been doing it unofficially for the past three years. Steve told me Friday, "It's nice that Mary likes and trusts you." As the fieldhouse supervisor, Mary has to be careful about who is allowed where and when. I'm honored that she thinks that much of me.

Focus Interrupted

Steve, Junior, Mike and myself were at Clarendon Park fieldhouse for their boxing show. Unfortunately, both Junior and Mike lost their matches. I believed that Junior was getting the best of Ramon, a guy who fights out of a club called the Matadors. The judges saw otherwise.

Pizza had been ordered for the officials and coaches, and Steve suggested that I go get some of the food. I'm not officially a coach, but I often go into the "war room" anyway. A guy who is the son of one of the other coaches, Tony, decides that he would like to ask me out on a date. Well, there went the evening. I could hardly pay attention to Junior and Mike's bouts, or any of the bouts, because Tony was hanging around me. He bugged me so much for my phone number that I gave it to him. He called after midnight, and I didn't answer, as I was already asleep.

Tony seems to be a nice guy, but he's not my type. I like men who are six feet and over, built somewhat thick (think broad shouldered, a light heavyweight build or maybe a few pounds extra), and preferably no children. Tony hasn't been married, but he has a five year old kid. That means baby mama's drama to me, and I'm not interested in being caught up in that. "You're gorgeous," he told me. I'm not a teen anymore, so flattery doesn't impress me. He's more in the friend category.

Sadiq and his wife was there last night. Sadiq was going to fight for Clarendon, as he's been training over there lately. There were no matches for him, unfortunately.

Crystal Tree

Junior, Steve and I went to a show fight out at a south suburban golf course called Crystal Tree. What should have taken us an hour took nearly two as we ran into heavy rush hour traffic.

No sooner than we arrived on the grounds, Junior's gym bag came up missing. Steve had to negotiate with the fight makers to have our boy fight later to give him time to find his stuff. Finally, the bag was discovered next to some kids who were also there to fight. Maybe they picked it up by accident, maybe it was intended to be a theft. We don't know. After Junior was suited up, Steve took the precaution of locking all of our stuff in the trunk of his car. Not long after Junior's bag went misssing, another guy's stuff disappeared.

Junior gave too much respect to his opponent. There was a moment when he had the guy on the ropes with a clear opening to let off a battery of shots. Junior hesitated, as if giving the guy a chance to recover. The people in the crowd, particular a group that was directly behind Steve and I, were mostly on Junior's side. However, it was clear they didn't know much about boxing by their comments. One woman kept yelling, "Hit him between the eyes!" I noticed another table of women who were paying more attention to their conversation and their drinks than what was going on in the ring. After rocking his opponent a few times, Junior won the decision.

Later, we were standing near a table of deserts: cheesecake and cherry pie. Junior and I kept eyeing the groceries. Steve said, "Maybe we shouldn't take any of it." Not long after he said that, a crowd of hungry boxers swooped on the table. Junior had a big slice of cheesecake. I had two slices of cherry pie. Shouldn't have eaten that much, especially of pie, but I was hungry.

Watching The Gym Door

George, a beefy guy from Clarendon Gym, came in last night. "I'm a friend of Emmanuel," he told Steve. Emmanuel did show up several minutes later.

Junior said that maybe the reason Sadiq hadn't been in for nearly a month is because he's still ticked about his stuff being stolen. Who then walks in later but Sadiq, along with his wife Lauren. He didn't work out, but told Steve he'd be up for some fights soon. Lauren told Steve that yes, Sadiq was still pissed about his stuff being stolen. I don't blame him, but unfortunately, people are slick, and Steve can't watch the door the whole time he's there.

We're not going to Eckhart Park today, so I guess I have to go to choir rehearsal. They'll rag on me about missing last week's rehearsal I'm sure. However, this is nothing new. Long time members and the choir director know I'm always missing from time to time during the boxing show season, and later when the Golden Gloves are going on. Sigh. . .I have to keep explaining that every year.

Grade School Bodyguards

Kevin, or Toby, as he's sometimes called, told me he has bodyguards at school. We were on our way back home from a boxing show at Simons Park last night. There was no match available for Junior, but Kevin was able to get one. Unfortunately, he ran up on the other kid after the bell for the third round sounded. The kid stepped to one side and knocked Kevin down with a jab. Kevin had won the previous two rounds, but that knockdown didn't look good on the scorecards.

"How did you get bodyguards?" I had to ask. Kevin explained that he is the strongest kid in his 5th grade class. All he had to do was to threaten to beat up the kids if they refused to be his bodyguards. Another kid refused to pay up on a dollar bet, so Kevin put his bodyguards on him. They promptly grabbed the other kid and got Kevin's payment. I was thinking I wish I could have had bodyguards when I was in grade school. As I was picked on constantly, they would have come in handy.

Seems like every time I see Kitchen, he has pictures for me, and I just have enough money in my pocket to pay him. There were some nice shots of a couple of matches Junior had, including a match involving Mike. A couple of pictures show me assisting Steve in the corner with Mike. I took some pictures last night with my old 35mm of Kevin, and some of the happenings at the boxing show.

Broke a nail on my left hand, right in the middle. It can't be cut because of the way it's broken. I was holding punch mitts that were too big for my hands. Steve threw a jab, and my nail bent back. Had to put a bandage on it. I'm going to have to get nail glue to fix it, and hope that it will grow over the break.

Same Guy, But A New Girl

Keith came in last night, which was a surprise. He had a woman with him whom he introduced as "my girl, Emma". Looks as if the last girlfriend is out. Steve told him that he needs to get in shape if he wants to appear in the our fieldhouse boxing show at the end of this month.

Larry came in, announcing he had hurt his ankle playing basketball. He's a very athletic guy.

Junior is the only guy in the adult program who is scheduled to have a fight tonight at Simons Park boxing show. Steve said that some of the kids, including Diego, may participate tonight, too, but that wasn't solid.

It was one of those days where I actually felt my age, which is not that often. I was sitting out rounds a lot, and the energy just wasn't there. Had a slight headache all day long, which might have had something to do with me forgetting to take my high blood pressure medicine a couple of days in a row. Then again, it might have been an allergy headache. I've been forgetting to take those pills as well, and every morning, I've been sniffling and sneezing.

Certification In The Game

Talked to Steve last night about the process of being certified as a coach. It's been on my mind to become licensed as one for some time. I could become a Level 3 coach, which means I could coach and be a corner person on the local, state and national levels. The price is $15.00 higher than the athletes's license. The certification process doesn't sound very hard. Steve told me he would let me know when the next certificate date comes up.

Junior said he would do the PAL (police) boxing tournament after going back and forth about. He had several worries about participating, one of which being, there may be stronger competition to go up again. I think he could do well in that tournament. It's a matter of him having focus and wanting the win more than his opponent.

I forgot that Neil stopped in for a visit last week. We joked that he hadn't gained or lost weight, but looked the same. Not sure if he's planning to come back into the gym anytime soon.

Did 35 crunches last night, and they felt easier to get through. It could be because I have started doing 30 crunches on the days when I'm not at the gym. Muhammad and I were talking about how hard it is to get rid of belly fat. I don't know why it is so stubborn to move. I dated a guy who went up and down in weight on ocassion. No matter what he lost elsewhere, that belly remained. He would laugh and say other martial artists (he was heavily into that) had the same problem.

Trying To Find Convenience

I told Steve that the new fall session of the boxing class begins two days before the Loyola Park boxing show. He sighed and said the new people will probably not get much of a class that day. New people always seem to show up around the boxing show and in the middle of the Golden Gloves tournament. He doesn't want to give the short shrift to the new people, but it's hard when he's has to prepare the guys who have matches lined up.

Hopefully, I can continue making time to go to JABB Gym on the weekends. I'm supposed to begin singing lessons with an opera singer next month. From prior conversations, she told me that Saturday would be a better day for her. However, that's the only time I can go to JABB, and I have to go early because they close early on Saturdays. Windy City Gym could have been another option, but it's a bit of a hassle traveling over the west side on public transportation. Once you get off the 'L' train, it's another several blocks before you get to the street where Windy City is located. I'm thinking I won't take singing lessons every Saturday, leaving a couple of weekends where I can work out. Glynn, the choir director's husband, told me yesterday that I looked like I had lost some weight. If I did, I have to attribute that to the extra workouts at JABB.

The Routine

I've been thinking about changing up my workout a little. This is how it's currently set up:

1. jump rope for two to four rounds
2. stretch (someone told me it's better to do this when the muscles are warmed up)
3. step bench for two rounds (I'm the only one in the gym who uses the step)
4. speed bag for three rounds
5. shadow box for three or four rounds
6. uppercut bag for two rounds
7. 24 push ups (I do push ups on my knees instead of my toes)
8. 30 to 50 crunches
9. three sets of 12 squats while holding a medicine ball
10. two or three rounds on the peanut bag
11. three to five rounds on the heavy bag

Once in a while, I stretch a rope the length of the ring and practice bobbing and weaving. Otherwise, that is practiced while shadow boxing. Occassionally, I do sprints, but after two in a row, I'm winded. The guys--all younger than me--do five or six. I may complete part of a third sprint. Other exercises, such as interval training, other medicine ball exercises, etc., are done sometimes. I have started doing crunches daily in addition to the two nights I'm in the gym.

Summer is ending, unfortunately, so I have to start thinking of other exercises I can do indoors at home. Not that I was doing a lot outside, which I blame on my laziness, as well as being too busy with other things, like rehearsing for the cabaret show I did a couple of weeks ago. I had planned to skate a lot more often, but I only was on the quads a few time, and still haven't touched the in-lines yet. Didn't walk on the track at Loyola University at all this season. Never put my bike in to be fixed, and I can't justify paying $50 now to get it in gear to ride only for this month and September. I'm tired of some of the exercise DVDs I have, but don't have the funds to expand the library. I'm going to have be creative this time to step up the exercise plan.

Vacation Boxing

I spent part of last Thursday and Friday at JABB Gym, since Loyola Boxing gym was closed. Got some pointers on how to the hit the speed bag. According to the trainer who showed me, I have been hitting the bag wrong, using the sides of my fists, instead of punching it straight on. It does feel more effective, but I'll have to practice it some more.

JABB is nice, but as Steve said, it's a little too clean. Not dingy and lived in like Loyola or Windy City Gym. However, I have to give the owners credit. Seeing how some older gyms have went under, they started off catering to white collar boxers early on to keep their books in the black. However, all the times I've been there, I've yet to see a white collar boxer. Nothing but professional boxers. Maybe the white collar fighters show up in the evenings.

Little Bit Of Blood

Diego came to the gym this past Wednesday. When I approached the fieldhouse, he was outside with his parents. I had always suspected that his mom was very young. Steve told me she was in her late twenties. That means she gave birth to Diego when she was a teen; he's about nine years old.

Steve and Diego did what I thought would be light sparring in the ring. I happened to look around and saw Steve wiping blood that was running from the boy's nose. "Steve, did you hit this child?" I said with mock indigination. "Yeah, I did," Steve said, pinching Diego's nose to stop the spread of crimson. Steve stepped away to his desk for a second to do something, and I wiped the blood away that was on Diego's chin and throat. Some blood was under the strap on his headgear as well. I tried to catch it before some got on his white shirt, but unfortunately, a drop left a stain. His mother is going to have a fit when she comes to pick him up, I thought.

Mom was very cool about it, after both Diego and Steve explained what happened. She had a "these things happen" attitude about the situation. I told my boss, Les, what happened the following morning. At first, he thought I was talking about giving first aid to one of the kids that live at my job. When he found out it was a kid at gym, he asked, "How old is he?" Les shook his head. He walked back to his office saying, "I just don't get it." It's hard to explain the appeal of boxing to people, especially someone who doesn't like the sport, like Les, for example.

The gym is closed tonight and the following week. I haven't called Bill, the coach at Hamlin yet, to see if I can work out there for a couple of nights, but I will. I'll also stop in to JABB Gym at least once next week.

A Good Reason

Steve's going out of town later this week, so the gym will not be open on Friday. I was thinking about not coming in to open the place next week because I'll also be on vacation, although not out of town. Mary decided that the gym should not be open at all while he's out. She said there are too many people coming in the gym for free. I agreed with her. The problem with people inviting others to come in and work out, is that some of the invitees keep showing up and never paying the fee. It's not an open gym, nor is it set up like some professional gyms where you can come in a pay for a day pass to work out.

However, I don't want to go a week without the workout because I know how lazy I can get. I also know it's hard to get back into a workout when you take time off from it. I think I'll call Bill, the coach over at Hamlin, and ask if I can come in there a few times next week. I can also go to JABB Gym during the day and pay a day fee, since I'll have time off.

Sadiq did not come in the gym last Friday, so I don't know how his situation is going since the theft. That still irritates me. He'll have to go around and get all of his IDs and keys replaced, and that is a major pain.

Jermaine had mentioned several times about going to recording sessions at a studio in Evanston. He revealed to me that he has been rapping, and is close to putting out a CD. I've known a few guys over the years that have aspired to be rappers, including one who used to work at my job. The entertainment field is not easy--I've always been on the fringes of it, acting and singing. A cousin of mine who's a professional singer was dropped from her record label, and she's trying to work her way back in the game. A ex-boyfriend of one of my nieces made a demo and was hanging out for a time with Guru, a rapper who was very popular in the late 1980s/early 1990's, but nothing came of it. Jermaine is a nice young man who believes in hard work. I hope he's successful.

Theft

Erin and I ran drills in the ring last night, but after the third round, I was finished. It rained last night, windows in the gym were open and both fans were on, but it was still hot. I liked the last drill I did, which involved Erin and I throwing a left, catching with the right, and then throwing a left hook and blocking that. When I recovered a few rounds later, I continued to practice that on one of the heavy bags.

Suddenly, I turned around and there seemed to be a lot of guys in the gym. There were a few that I had not seen before, and I figured they were friends of some of the regulars. For several minutes they stood in the middle of floor reciting rap lyrics. Don't ask me what song it was because I don't listen to rap as heavily as I did 15 years ago. Steve stopped in the middle of working the mitts with someone to ask them to tone it down because it was so loud.

Several guys did spar yesterday, including Sadiq. Unfortunately, at the end of the night, it was discovered that someone had walked off with Sadiq's bookbag. There's an old saying I used to hear while I was growing up, "That made me mad, and it wasn't even me." He had his keys, wallet, and other important items in there. We looked everywhere--I had seen the bag earlier and moved it so I could sit down on a chair, and then put it back--but it was nowhere in the gym. Sadiq said he wasn't going to be able to get into his apartment, which seemed odd, seeing how he just got married last week. I guess he and Lauren haven't moved in together yet. One of Sadiq's friends were there, and he told Steve that Sadiq could stay with him that night.

Just triflin', as people say in the 'hood. Damn shame you can't have your stuff in the gym and have to worry about someone walking with it. After I got home, I prayed that Sadiq would find his stuff. I also prayed that whoever took it would feel enough guilt not to do that again.

"I didn't like that there were so many people in the gym," Steve said later. That bothers me, too. Too many of the guys bring their friends in. Observing and asking questions is cool. I've brought my ex-roommate Anna in the gym, as well as my niece Jalissa. However, they stayed in one spot the whole time they were on the premises. They weren't messing around with the equipment, neither did I show them technique. When Maria, my friend who skates in the roller derby asked me to show her some boxing moves, I asked Steve in advance if she could come in for one night. When Laura, a Northwestern student, did a story about me and women's boxing for her journalism class, I also asked Steve if it was okay for her to come in. She wanted to ask him questions as well as talk to the other boxers. I think it is common courtesy; after all, there is a fee to workout on a regular basis. Plus, the gym is very small. Doesn't take too many people before it is crowded, and the less people in there just hanging out, the better.

Now I'm wondering who was foul enough and bold enough to walk off with Sadiq's stuff. It was hoped that maybe someone picked his bag up by accident, but I don't think that was the case. The problem with public buildings is that anyone can roll in and not be challenged as to what business they have there. The gym is tucked in the back of the building on the first floor. I can see how it would be easy for someone with bad intentions to come back there and stick everyone up; the front desk personnel probably wouldn't know what happened until it was over. Just outside of the gym is a back door that is only supposed to be used in cases of emergency. I've been guilty of letting people in through that door, as well as others. Some people regularly leave the building through that door, which is not supposed to happen, either. I guess we all will just have to heighten our observation skills after this incident.

When I Say Something. . . .

Steve misplaced his key to the main door of the gym, so we had to enter through the door that leads to the basketball gym this past Friday. I've mentioned before that I hate when that door is open. Too many folks think it's an open invitation to come inside the gym. That is all good and fine if they actually want information about the program. It's another thing to be in the way of everyone.

Danny brought a guy in, and the next thing I knew, the guy was rummaging around in the bag glove locker. "What are you doing?" Steve asked. "He told me I could hit the bags," came the reply. "Not unless you're signed up," Steve answered.

Right behind that guy came two boys who proceeded to hit the bags with no hand protection. "No touching the equipment unless you're a member of the gym", I said with no amount of the politeness Steve had for the other guy. One kid stood around for a moment, then left, but the other kid, a stout sort, decided he was going to keep messing with the gloves. Jermaine told the kid that he should come back on Tuesday and Thursdays when Barry is coaching the youths. The stout kid obviously took this to mean that he could continue to hit the bags. "You need to take that glove off," I told him. He came a little closer to me, talking about "Huh?"

I hate that bull out of kids. He heard me the first couple of times I told him to stop. Maybe he's the type that doesn't listen to his mama at home, but I didn't carry him for nine months, so I don't have to put up with it. "Take the glove off, put it back on the table, and stop hitting the bags. Thank you," I growled. The hint finally sunk into the kid's thick head, and he complied, leaving the gym not long afterwards. I don't like being a hard ass towards kids who are interested in the sport, but rules are rules.

A Newlywed's Win

It was back to the Sabre Room last night for a show fight. Sadiq's wife--yes, he got married on Tuesday--came along. "I'm so nervous for him," Lauren said. She turned out to be a good calming influence on him, especially when he found out he was fighting a guy named JD instead of the boxer whose tapes he had been studying.

Steve told Sadiq that JD postures a lot in the ring and fights wildly. When JD was introduced, he flexed his arms and gritted his teeth at Sadiq from across the ring. Sadiq was doing well during the first two rounds, catching JD with jabs and solid rights. JD's technique involved rushing at Sadiq and brawling. There was a moment when the referee broke the two fighters apart after JB threw what looked like an illegal punch to Sadiq's body. After the break, Sadiq seemed to think for a moment, then he popped JD with a body shot. The referee admonished him.

The third round seemed not to be in Sadiq's favor. There were a few times when it looked as if he was waiting to see what JD would do instead of continuing to work the jab. JD's haphazard punches were connecting more than usual. Sadiq did get in a shot that cut JD's lip open. When it was all over, the decision was given to Sadiq. JD complimented him profusely afterwards, even pointing out his own mistakes that cost him the victory over Sadiq.

Josh didn't get a match, and unfortunately, last night was probably the last opportunity for him to get a fight. He's a young man on the move, checking out grad schools and preparing to travel to Japan to teach English for several months.

Humid Friday Night and No JABB

Steve was out of town, so I opened the gym, or should I say, Robert, one of the fieldhouse staff opened up. We had to go through the basketball gym and enter using the door there because Robert did not have a key for the main door to the boxing gym. I don't like having that door open when I'm watching the gym. Occassionally, kids and teens playing ball will wander into the boxing gym through that door, then it's a problem getting them out. "We want to box a few rounds", they'll say, knowing they don't know how, or they want to play around on the equipment. After I got my wraps and boxing shoes on, I had to go back through the basketball gym to get to the water fountain to fill the water bottles. Sometimes, the guys doing hoops don't pay me any attention, but there's always females hanging around the benches to watch the guys. They give me odd looks when I pass by, and mumble under their breaths. I want to say, "At least I ain't wasting my time trying to look cute and doing nothing." Reminds me of when I was in high school. I hated being around girls who seemed to have nothing on their minds but how to catch knuckleheaded boys. The same girls would roll their eyes at girls like me who weren't tunnel visioned like that.

It was hot in the gym because it was humid outside. I turned the one box fan on, but that wasn't enough. Too much of a chore to open the ancient windows. Besides, I didn't want to forget to close them. Steve told me how Barry had called to get on him once when he forgot.

Fortunately, the guys who were already in the gym did not want to stay late. However, Gabe, who is home for the summer from college, walked in near closing time, followed by Emmanuel. Gabe had a legit excuse--he works as a lifeguard at a pool, and the hours hard for him to get to the gym on time. Emmanuel is not an official member at Loyola Gym; he normally works out at Clarendon, a fieldhouse several miles south of Loyola. "Just let me have three good rounds," he pleaded, so I stuck around. I wasn't in a great rush to get home. My apartment was just as hot as the gym.

Missed out on going to JABB Gym on Saturday, because I accepted an invitation from one of my cousins to hang out with her out in the suburb she lives in. Judging by how stuffy it was in JABB the last time I was there, I can imagine it was even worse due to the heat wave we're having. I only remember being overcome by heat once, over ten years ago. I had been walking around for a long time outside, no water bottle with me, for whatever reason I don't remember. I leaned against a tree outside of a woman's house. She came out, gave me some water, and a wet nap to wipe my brow with. Might have been a good idea not to go down to JABB, jumping around in the heat.

Quality of Boxing DVDs

I sparred with Sarah last Friday. Guess being knocked in the head so many times caused me to forget to record that here (smile). Figured out one reason I have a hard time with her in the ring is that she is a non-stop punching machine. I got her once with a left hook, but the rest of my efforts to make any kind of headway were pit-i-ful as Jed Clampett used to say on "The Beverly Hillbillies".

Steve and I were laughing about the quality of many of the instructional boxing DVDs we've seen. This is not to say that the information included on them is not valid; it is extremely helpful. The production values are off, especially on the ones put out by Ringside. The information is often given out in a monotone by John Brown, the head of the company, who appears to be a knowledgeable guy otherwise. It is obvious that he is reading cue cards most of the time. There's another guy who also appears on the DVDs, who's delivery is a little better, but I can't remember his name at the moment. Flubs, like accidently calling a speed bag a double end bag, aren't edited out.

The ones produced by Title Boxing appear to be a little better, based on a couple of them I've seen. Unfortunately, it is too easy for those instructional DVDs to be a series of talking heads. For example, I have one about proper nuitrition for boxers featuring trainer Freddie Roach and a British boxer. They stand in one spot for the majority of the video and give their advice about what boxers should eat. That's it. A list of acceptable and unacceptable foods scrolls across the screen at the end of the DVD. The one with the Canadian head of Title about how to properly work a boxer's corner is more lively.

I also have a couple of Everlast DVD's featuring boxing instruction featuring Michael Olajinde. He wears a patch over one eye due to an bad injury he suffered when he was a professional fighter. I believe he doesn't have his eye there anymore. I like how he breaks down the various punches, combinations and practice drills. He is also featured on one of Kathy Smith's DVD. She's a major exercise guru who has goo-gabs of DVD's out. That is a boxing workout, but it is obviously modified for those who are not looking to be fighters, who just want a more intense workout. Still, it's not a wimpy workout, with several jump rope sequences, and numerous punch combinations. I haven't used it in awhile--my apartment is especially too hot in the summer months to do much exercising inside--but I like it.

Hot Work Out

This past Saturday, I decided it was high time that I add a third boxing workout to my week. My first option was to pay for a stand-alone boxing class (without having to sign up for full membership) at the martial arts school I used to attend. I had been promising the boxing coach over there for a few years now that I would eventually return. The cost is rather steep for only about a month and a half of classes, unfortunately, and I can't really swing paying that kind of money on a regular basis. Instead, I opted to go to JABB, a professional gym that has been open for about over a year. JABB was featured in The Ring magazine several months ago. It's a clean, open space on the northwest side of the city, several miles from the downtown area. It's a bit easier to get to on public transportation that Windy City Gym. A day pass to workout costs $5.00.

Despite all of the ceiling fans being on that day, it was very hot inside the gym. I got in a two-hour workout before becoming too tired to continue. Samantha was there with her father, training in a small ring on the other side of the room. She and I were the only females there.

The first thing I noticed was that I had to modify my workout slightly. There are no step risers there, so I didn't do that. I finally found a speed bag that wasn't very high, but it was still not low enough to be completely comfortable for me to work with. Unlike the one at Loyola's gym, I could have lowered it, but I didn't want to take the chance of accidently damaging it. They also had a Cobra bag, which Loyola doesn't have, and I went a few rounds on that. Over in a corner were two LifeFitness walking machines. I hadn't been on one of those for a long time, so I choose the "cardio" setting, and walked for 15 minutes. An uppercut bag had been mounted to the wall in a good position for me to get underneath it and run drills.

The shower was cold after that long sweaty workout, but welcomed in contrast to the stuffiness of the air in the gym. I will return again next Saturday, but I'll have to get there early: there were signs posted stating that JABB will be closed at 2:00 PM on Saturdays beginning this weekend.

The Old Gal Sprints Again

Maybe if I had changed out of my boxing shoes and back into my tennis shoes before running sprints, I would have done better. Maybe not. Junior, Ben, and one of the new guys whose name I don't know, ran the length of a fence next to a baseball diamond outside of the fieldhouse. They did all five sprints. I managed to do two.

Some time ago, Junior had suggested that I do sprints, or at least run most days. He runs just about every day, but he's 19 years old. I used to love to run when I was younger. Even had a track class while I was in high school. I would jump the hurdles like a gazelle. Yesterday evening, I was wheezing like a long-time cigar smoker.

Back in the gym, I was awarded something that very few in the gym are: I was given a locker. There aren't many in the gym, about five, I think. The lockers are reserved for the coaches of course, then the guys who consistently train and compete, like Montrell and Junior. I'm actually sharing a locker with Junior. The only thing inside was a cornerman's jacket. Junior usually takes his gear home with him. I locked my gym bag up inside.

Steve, one of the new guys, is built like a professional wrestler, with tatoos on both of his huge arms. "Could you teach me how to jump rope the next time?" he asked. "I was watching you earlier, and I can't jump like that." I told him I would. I guess I think all guys should know how to jump rope from when they were kids. But now that I think about it, I knew very few boys who did jump rope when I was a kid. I guess the skill wasn't encouraged because that was something that girls did. There was one boy I knew in grade school named Jimmy, who could jump double-double better than most of the girls. The other boys picked on him about it.

Seems like half of the new people showed up last night, and then the ones that came in didn't stay long. The coach did have them working on the pads, doing the ol' one-two-three: left jab, right cross, left hook. In one of the women's eyes, I could see boredom setting in. Truth be told, doing the same six punches over and over can become routine. The fun is in seeing how you can perfect them, along with footwork.

A Week Off

I had a bad cold last week, so I stayed out of the gym. Last night, I returned to find several new people there. Forgot that a new session started. Near the end of the evening, Steve had them do interval training on the heavy bags: 1 minute of non-stop punching, 30 seconds punching at half-speed, then 30 seconds more of the non-stop punching. I never saw people clear out of the gym so fast afterwards. I half-wondered if Steve did that to weed out the people who are not serious about sticking with the workout (smile).

Keith came in with his girlfriend, but alas, did not do a workout. Jermaine introduced me to a friend of his named Muhammad, a big fellow with whom he played football with while he was in high school. Muhammad was surprised that I had also graduated from that school, and was a member of the very first class that graduated from there.

The regular gang stayed late, past 9:00 PM. It was pouring rain when we left, so Steve drove Sadiq and I home. Sadiq won a belt last weekend at a boxing tournament that was part of a tribute to boxer Barney Ross. I am so sorry that I was laid up with a cold--boxing historian Burt Sugar was there. Steve told me that he, Junior and Sadiq got to meet him and talk with him a little.

Unfortunately, Junior lost another fight, so Steve gave him a week off from the gym, figuring the kid needs the time to get his head together. Junior worries before every fight, and during the bouts, he often makes the mistake of waiting to see what his opponent will do. Steve asked me if I knew of any books Junior could read along the lines of setting goals and focusing his efforts. The first author that came to mind was the late Norman Vincent Peale, who was the pastor of a church in New York. He wrote many books about positive thinking. Steve also mentioned some sports psychology books, that I might pick up for myself.

Working Out With A VanDawl

Maria, or VanDawl, as she's known to her roller derby team, came by the gym last night. I showed her around the equipment, taught her the basic punches, and did some medicine ball exercises. She was interested in coming back and learning more. I can now see how boxing would be helpful to a derby girl, especially in terms of developing endurance. I should have told VanDawl that if any of the other derby girls are interested, to feel free to contact me.

Keith and Junior sparred last night. Keith hadn't been working out again for awhile, so he tired out quickly. Keith is bigger than Junior in size, a cruiserweight to Junior's middleweight build.

Surprise Workout

Keith showed at the gym with his girlfriend last night. It was a different woman than the one he used to bring in a couple of years ago. Later, I would find out that she is in her mid-30s. Keith is 23 years old. I ain't mad at the sister--she must be doing something right to pull a young man.

Sadiq also had his girlfriend there last night. She's a pretty, somewhat plump girl, who looks to be part Hispanic. Over the past year or so, I've noticed that is somewhat of a trend, the guys bringing their girlfriends in. The women sit in the corners and watch me and any other woman who is working out with looks of surprise and horror. It's funny to me.

Steve worked me to the point of exhaustion with a combination of left-right, left-right, slip, right-left hook-right, bob, right-left uppercut on the punch mitts. I had to sit down for a couple of rounds to recover.

On the bulletin board was a story about the documentary featuring Barry, Montrell, Michael and Edmund that was in a local newspaper. The article was very complimentary about the film. I had made a mistake earlier when I said the kids competed at the National Junior Olympics; it was actually the National Junior Golden Gloves tournament.

Sometimes, I put things on the bulletin board. Currently, there's an article about a five year old girl named Mia Ellis, who has garnered a lot of attention for her boxing skills. Her dad is a former boxer, and he trains her. In addition to articles, there are numerous pictures of the current boxers, plus ones of those who no longer come in to workout. Steve has pictures of his baby boy up there, and Neil, who hasn't been in the gym for months, has a picture of his youngest child, also a boy, posted. One picture has me decked out in boxing gear while sitting at my desk at my job. Les, my boss, groaned when I asked him to take the picture, but he did it anyway.

Queen of the Gym

Jermaine came in Wednesday night; he goes to college, so he's only in the gym during summer and school breaks. He had two guys with him, who he introduced me to them as being "the queen of the gym." That tickled me! Junior and Steve had said not long ago that if Jermaine was serious about being a heavyweight contender, he could turn that whole division around. For a big, tall guy, he's very quick.

I got in on an interval exercise where you hit the heavy bag as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then hit it normally for 30 seconds, alternating like this during a whole round. Most of the guys went a full five rounds, but I tried it for one. Next time, I'll go for more rounds. It's a very good exercise, and it builds endurance.

Wrote down all of the park district boxing shows for this season. I noticed the last show takes place two days before my birthday in December. They are running kind of late this year, because they are starting in July, rather than June. Our boxing show is in late September. This late spring has become busy for me, and I don't see a slow down this summer. Figured I'd better get the dates into my Franklin Covey before too long.

Learned From A Documentary

Apparently Barry was a wild kid when he was young, according to an admission he made in the boxing documentary I viewed last night. "I was arrested for some minor things and a couple of major things," he said in a voiceover. Pictures were shown of him riding motorcycles down alleys and doing dangerous jumps. He said the cops picked him up in front of his house once, and began to slap him around. His mother ran out, ready to jump the police. "Leave my son alone!" he said she told them.

Edmund, brothers Montrell and Michael, and Lavar were profiled as the film followed them as they trained and then competed at a National Junior Olympics tournament in Syracuse, NY. None of the boys won their matches, but it was a learning experience for them. I found out some things about them I didn't know, as well. I knew Montrell and Michael's mom had passed away, but I didn't know she died so young. She was 37 years old. Currently, their older sister, who's in her early 20s, looks after them.

Steve told me that he and Ellen would have brought Eli to the film, but they thought he might have become too cranky. Steve had Eli outfitted in Everlast boxing clothes. I told him he had to take a picture of the baby wearing the gear and bring it into the gym.