Monday's Coach

Everyone was hanging around in the hall outside of the gym on Monday, wondering where Alan was. "He's probably running late," I answered. Then I remembered he said he wasn't going to be in that evening. I found Carol and BK so they could open up the gym.

Two new people, a man and a woman, were there. The man looked familiar to me. He might have signed up for the gym in the past and not stuck around for too long. The woman's name was Shanice, I believe. I spent time showing them the one-two combination (left jab, right cross) and how to stand.

I didn't get much of a workout in, partially because I was lazy, partially because I was coaching people, and partially because I was watching the room. Three other people roamed in, two guys and a girl who looked like they were in their late teens/early twenties. The taller of the two guys asked if he could hit the bags. It's annoying when people walk in and assume they are entitled to play around just because the door is open. However, I was polite as I explained they had to pay to play. Fortunately, they strolled back out after a few moments.

Carlos brought his little boy, Justin, in with him. Justin got bored, as five-year-olds will do when asked to sit and stay still for long periods of time. He had a couple of action figures to play with, but Justin kept getting up and down. "Which superheroes are those?" I asked him. "One is black Spiderman, and the other is red Spiderman," he answered. "Do you read the comic books?" I said to him. "Yeah, sometimes," Justin replied. "I used to read Spiderman comic books and watch the cartoon when I was little," I informed him. Justin gave me a curious look. "Spiderman was around when you were little?" he inquired. "Spiderman first came out when I was a little girl," I smiled. I didn't tell him that the character was created in 1962. Little kids cannot wrap their minds around the concept of decades. It's kind of funny, actually, about small kids and their concept of time. Years ago, another five-year-old told me that I was old. I was fourteen years old at the time.

"Girl, Don't Do That Anymore!"

It was another no sparring day for me last night at the gym. My left hand and arm are still not performing up to par, so I wisely begged off from getting into the ring.

Alfred was sparring with Alan. He was not committing totally to a lot of his punches, especially the jab. I have the same problem, basically because I worry about really hurting someone. I know that's silly, given that boxing is partially about inflicting pain. Alfred had sparred earlier, with Josh, I believe, and both men were stiff. Alan kept telling Alfred to "stay loose".

Carlos got in the ring with Leon. Leon wore him down, but Carlos remained in the ring until the rounds were over. At one point, Carlos was on all fours on the canvas, crawling around, dead tired. But he got back up and into the game.

"None of the women showed up," Alan said later as he drove me home. "It's not like any of them were hurt." "You're right. I was the only one who got knocked out," I laughed, but that wasn't entirely true. I had forgotten about Maggie, whom I knocked out a few weeks before. I called my friend Linda, who was at home recovering from a fall. I told her about me being laid out in the gym. She gasped. "Maybe I'm getting too old to keep taking hits like that," I said. "You have to be careful. Girl, don't do that anymore," Linda said. Paulette, a fellow church-goer, had told me that perhaps I should concentrate more on the coaching aspect of boxing instead of the fighting aspect.

It keeps crossing my mind. But I made a promise to myself that I would stop competing and sparring when I turn 50 years old. That won't be until 2011. I figure that if I still feel good enough to fight between now and then, I might as well. I still have to figure my weight loss goals into that. While I was out running errands today, a guy trying to get a date with me asked if I was pregnant. Last night in the gym, I kept looking at my pot in the mirror. I really need to do something about that.

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Fighting With The Sidewalk

I should have waited to put my roller skates on until I got to one of the empty parking lots around Loyola University. But no, I mistakenly thought I could skate there all the way from my apartment during Sunday afternoon. A fall I took as I reached the other side of a busy street made me change my mind. "How in the hell did I skate on the street when I was a kid?" I thought to myself. The pair of roller skates I had back then had metal wheels on them, but somehow, I was able to deal with the cracks and bumps on the pavement. My past youth and lost flexibility must have had a lot to do with that. I did get to the parking lot, and skated longer than I should have, ignoring the cries of my right knee.

Luckily, I had a pair of skating gloves on, so my hands didn't get scraped up. Unfortunately, most of my weight was on my left hand and arm when I connected with the ground. I iced my hand and arm up that night, but it still hurt all day yesterday. I avoided the heavy bags Monday night, and of course, sparring was out.

A guy was in the gym who looked familiar to me, but I couldn't place him at first. "I'm Brendon. I was here back in 2005," he said. He lost some weight, and he seemed to have become taller. He smiled when I told him I remembered his daughter Briana. "She's seven years old today," he beamed.

Jamie was asking about the tear drop bag in the gym. It wasn't there the last time he was attending on a regular basis. "It's good for hooks, uppercuts and body shots," I told him. I had to avoid that bag, too. Even hitting the speed bag and double end bag was aggravating my left hand. I did a lot of shadow boxing last night. I really need to take care of my hands better than I do.

Get your boxing gloves and equipment for less.

Alan announced that Leon has a show fight lined up this Wednesday. It's going to be at a country club in Lincolnwood. I would love to see him fight, but I have to open up the gym for the others that evening.

My aches and pains have officially become a running joke between Pastor Roger and myself. This morning, Pastor walked into my office, grinned, and asked something along the lines of, "How did you injure yourself this time?" I've shown up to just about every job I've had since 1976 with an injury at one time or another. It's only been in the last eight years that a lot of the injuries have been from boxing. Before that, it was mostly due to roller, in-line and ice skating.

Promise To Pastor

I came by the church today to do some work on my laptop. It was cheaper than going to the coffee house and having to buy food and drinks in order to sit at one of their tables. "I kept my promise and didn't spar last night," I informed Pastor. "Don't you feel better, energized, happy?" he said with a grin. He went on to say that I needed time to heal.

"You should have told him you just had a headache," Alan told me yesterday. "That's why he admonished you. Or else that you were boxing for God." I didn't think of that one. There are always people who say, no matter what they are doing, "I'm doing it for the Lord!" "We need to get him to come in here," Alan continued. It would be a good idea for Pastor to come in and look around. I know his wife Virginia is concerned with him losing a little weight.

Nicole came in with Julio, but she didn't stay long. She appeared to be tired, and she probably wanted to go home early. Leon showed up during the last ten to fifteen minutes of the evening, and wasn't able to get a workout in. E didn't stay long either; I think his thumb is still bothering him.

Alan noticed my bag gloves and thought they were new. "Oh, no. I've had these for a few years," I told him. There is a little tear on one of the gloves near the wrist. I will have to replace them eventually. I don't have a pair of regular boxing gloves, mainly because the gym has both sparring and bag gloves available. But it might be a good idea to have my own pair.

Punch in style with women's boxing gloves by Everlast.

Gary came in to workout. He and Alan agreed that Raymond would make a good pro boxer. Raymond started training with Barry and Steve a few years ago. He's now a grown man with a full-time job. Raymond comes in to train once in awhile. He can't always do that because he's busy with other things. That's how it is for a lot of the young guys who were once always hanging in the gym. They go to school (like Mort), they move away (like Ike), they have a kid, their jobs keep them busy, etc.

Blasts From A Left And The Past

Ieisha and I sparred last night. "I don't have a mouthpiece, so don't hurt me too much," she joked. I agreed to go light. After taking a long bike ride up to Fort Sheridan the day before, my knees weren't in the best shape. Since I couldn't move as fast, I had to rely more on punching. I also had to watch out for Ieisha's punches, which I thought I was doing better than I did before.

Alan noted that I wasn't hitting hard. "She's breathing hard, too. Get in there," he told me. I also thought I was covering myself up better, although Ieisha got me with some good body punches during round one. During round two, I should have remembered that Ieisha can fight southpaw. She caught me across the bridge of my nose with a punch, and I backed up. Each time I came in, I went more for the body then for the head. The hooks weren't getting in well.

She caught me in the face with her left, and I was stunned. It was my intent to shake it off and keep going. My legs decided they were done, and they buckled under me. I found myself looking up at the lights in the ceiling. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I told Alan from my prone position on the canvas. "Stay down, stay down," he told me. After a few moments, I sat up. It was another few minutes before I could stand up.

Carlos sparred with Ralphie. I noticed a guy standing near the ring watching them. I was surprised to see that it was Jamie. Jamie used to come to the gym during the first year I started going there. It was good to see him. He told me he ran into Steve a few months before. Jamie told me that he was coming back to the gym on Wednesday.

Oscar and Leon went up against each other again. Earlier in the evening, Leon was joking with Oscar. "What? What did you say?" he said menancingly to him. We all laughed about that. I continue to give Oscar credit. He took several hard hits in the head from Leon, who is literally a giant over him.

Alan asked Ieisha and I about perhaps getting matches this Friday at Garfield Park's boxing show. The coach was trying to guess our weights and heights. "You're about 140, right?" he asked me. "I wish! The last time I checked, I came in at 179," I answered. I know that's too big for someone who stands five foot one. I've been losing weight at a good rate, but I need to lose more.

Cut weight with the women's sauna suit by Everlast.

This morning, I told the Pastor I needed to get aspirin from the first aid kit in his office. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Oh, I got knocked out last night," I casually answered. "Hillari, Hillari", Pastor lightly admonished, shaking his head as I followed him down the hall to his office.

"I'm a pretty tough built chick, Pastor," I laughed. "Don't you think you might have a concussion?" he asked, as he took a seat in front of his computer. "Probably. I wouldn't be surprised," I said. "If you still have a headache after taking the aspirin, maybe you should go to the doctor and get checked out. If you have some real damage, you could die the next time you get hit," he said, his face serious. "Coach was talking about getting a match for me this Friday, but maybe I'd better re-think that. After a knockout, a boxer is supposed to take off for awhile," I answered.

The Only Woman

Alan sparred with Oscar last night, and he wore headgear that had a faceguard on it. Josh commented that he thought that was good headgear. The faceguard may offer a little bit of protection from getting a broken nose, but like most headgear, it will not prevent a knockout.

Matthew was there, and he told me he's been doing a lot of weight lifting at Clarendon Park. His goal is to become an MMA fighter. Since Matthew has also trained in boxing, he's one up on a lot of MMA guys who don't throw punches well, nor are able to take a lot of punches.

Alfred and I sparred. "You can hit her harder, she can take it," Alan told him, but Alfred and I had agreed to go light before we stepped in the ring. Alfred caught me in the face with a right cross, but it only stung for a second. I had a feeling if that right cross had full power behind it, I might have found myself looking up at the ceiling.

E hurt his thumb again while sparring. He had sprained it before. I think he sparred with Jamil. He had ice on it when he and his little boy left the gym.

Several minutes passed before I realized that I was the only woman in the gym. Ieisha, Nicole and Tanya did not come in. It reminded me of when I first started going to Loyola Park, and I was the only woman in the gym for about a year. Just like now, I was sparring with the guys.

Little Woman vs. Tall Woman

Nicole and I were the first to spar last night. I did a much better job of covering up, so my head didn't get knocked around as much. I punched back a little harder than I did the last time. Alan told me that I have to get in closer on her to get in the overhand rights. I throw them, but I'm usually too far away to make them effective.

Manny came in with his adorable little girl, Anjolie. "She's gotten bigger since the last time you saw her, hasn't she?" he said, giving a proud papa smile. Anjolie put on a pair of bag gloves and was hitting the heavy bags. Manny also held pads for her as she playfully hit them.

E didn't bring his son with him yesterday. "He wanted to stay with the women," he explained. I've gotten so used to his son being in the gym that I miss him when I don't see him.

Alan sparred with Oscar. Alan was not wearing headgear, and Oscar was catching him in the back of his neck with punches. Manny was telling Oscar not to do that. "He's short, and he can't help it," Alan said. He caught Oscar in the face a few good times, but Oscar kept coming forward. "Oscar is like a pit bull," Alan commented after they were finished.

The gym was rather full. JJ came in to get a workout, stating that he was taking a day off from training at Evanston Boxing Club. Steve, the former coach, had been in town for a few days, and JJ saw him. I wish I could have seen him, too; I miss him.

Julio sparred with Jamil, and Julio was worn out afterwards. Jamil got Julio in the face several times, and I could have sworn that Julio's headgear had been knocked a little crooked. Jeremy, a guy who trained with Alan at Clarendon Park, was also in attendance. Ieisha didn't come in, but I remembered her saying that she mentors children one night of the week.

I had a lot of energy after Nicole and I sparred. I was on both heavy bags for several rounds. If only I had that burst of energy every day! It sure would make my life a lot easier.

Boxing At The Baseball Field

Last night, a group of young men who are planning to compete against young men in Ireland, showed off their boxing skills last night. It was a fundraiser to help drum up money to help pay their way there. The boxing show was held at Thillens Stadium, which is a baseball field favored by various Little League teams. A ring was set up in the middle of one of the baseball diamonds.

I ran into JJ there. A Park District coach was telling JJ that he doesn't need a conditioning coach. JJ told me that he no longer goes to see Jerome for conditioning; the commute to Elgin is too far. However, JJ thinks he needs someone to motivate him to do his conditioning. The Park District coach disagreed. "Man, you need a strength coach to work your muscles. How old are you? Twenty-two? You can motivate yourself to do your own conditioning!"

The fights were good, particularly one that involved Tracy Jr., who is trained by his dad. I hadn't seen him in awhile, and it looked as if he had gained more muscle. His opponent was showboating a little too much. Tracy Jr. answered him with a flurry of combinations.

Today, I had to run some errands. On the way back, I passed Hamlin Park. I ducked inside to use the washroom, and noticed the boxing gym was open. Coach Bill was there, and about three guys were working out. Bill has been coaching at Hamlin for 35 years. "Don't you spar up at Loyola Park?" he asked me. I told him I did, and he said a couple of women usually come in on Saturdays. "You could come in and get some sparring in with them," Bill told me. I thanked him and told him I would stop in next week.

Stunned and Stopped

Alan asked me if I wanted to spar last night. "I don't know. I'm not feeling that well," I told him. My stomach was acting a little funny, probably because I hadn't eaten much yesterday. A check of the scale in my bathroom showed that I lost another ten pounds. A combination of always sparring and not eating a lot due to the recent heat may be the culprit. I'm glad for the weight loss, however; I still need to lose more.

Ieisha was there, but I later agreed to spar with Nicole. Nicole is similar in build to Katie (who didn't return for the summer session), with long arms and legs. Right away, I knew I had to be an inside fighter. "Don't hit me too hard. I'm not wearing a mouthpiece, and I haven't done this before," Nicole told me. "Have you ever fought with anyone at all?" I asked. "Just play fighting," she answered. "I'll go light," I said, as I adjusted her headgear. "Remember to keep your mouth closed," Alan told Nicole.

As soon as the bell rang, Nicole came out with a hard left jab. "Okay," I thought to myself, "I promised to go light." I proceeded to go to the body, and tapped some hooks to her sides. The hard punches kept coming, so I decided that I had to take some to get some in. Nicole put out both fists at one point, and Alan told her to use one hand at a time.

I stepped back to avoid one of her punches, but didn't get back far enough. WHAM! Nicole caught me full on the left side of my face with a right hook. I stopped cold in the middle of the ring. I was stunned. Alan watched me carefully. A few seconds later, the bell rang signaling the end of the round. Nicole decided one round was enough for her. "I want to get used to it, so I know what to expect. The next time, you can hit me a little harder," she told me. I took a round off and sat down. The side of my face was stinging.

Ieisha went a couple of rounds with Ralphie. He wore a mouthpiece, but no headgear. "Uh-oh," I thought to myself, remember how hard she had punched me during sparring. She caught him good several times. Leon and Carlos were commenting on how good her punches were. Alan smiled again and said, "She's lying. I know she's done this before!"

Leon and Michael sparred. Michael took a rough punch from Leon, but I couldn't tell which punch it was. I turned around in time to see Michael doubled over in the corner. It might have been a low blow or a punch to the gut.

When I got home, I checked my face for wear and tear. It was still stinging a bit, but I saw no cuts or bruises. I'm surprised it's not hurting today, but then sometimes, it takes me a couple of days to feel more pain. I escaped being totally knocked out again, but one of these days, I might not be so lucky.

Tylenol Punches

This morning, I went looking for the first aid kit in Pastor's office. "I need some aspirin", I wearily announced. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked. "I got knocked in the head last night, but I didn't feel it until today. I wasn't expecting the punches to be that hard," I replied.

Last night, I sparred with Ieisha. I called myself going easy on her, because Ieisha said previously that she hadn't sparred before. I think I got one shot in, and that was a left jab early on in the round. After that, I was pummeled with a series of very hard, strong punches. Alan was after me to keep jabbing and throw overhand rights, but I spent most of the one round we did covering up. "Those were some good strong punches," I told Ieisha afterwards. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Alan asked her. She indicated that was true. Alan smiled at me, "I think she's not telling the truth." Later, he would say that Ieisha showed "natural ability". Somebody get that girl a fight!

E returned with his little boy last night. "No one from the previous session signed up again?" he asked me. It certainly looked that way. For example, Maggie never returned after I gave her that right hook. Melanie and Heather disappeared before the spring session ended, and Oksana had been gone.

Another guy came in with his little boy for a few moments. I heard him tell the kid, "I used to box here a long time ago." Before I got a chance to ask him anything (he walked in during the middle of a round, and I was shadow boxing) the guy and his son left. He might have trained under Harlein, a former coach who passed away several years ago.

Four younger boys hung around the door of the gym. They witnessed the sparring session between Ieisha and I. I came out to look at the clock in the wood shop room (the clock in the gym is currently not working). One of the boys said, "She was fighting with that other girl." I walked back to the gym, and another boy asked, "Were you fighting?" "Yeah, and she throws very hard punches," I answered. The boys looked impressed.

Pathway To Boxing Glory

Alan was out this past Wednesday, so I ran the gym. A couple of guys came in, one of whom I recognized as a former tenant in the building I live in. The former tenant's friend was looking for a place to learn how to box because he wanted to go professional. Amateur boxing can be a springboard to a professional boxing career. The Chicago Park District's boxing program is purely an amateur program. But joining a boxing gym/club is the first step.

Starting training early, preferably before the age of eighteen, is a plus. Train often, and maintain a stable weight. Sparring is good practice, but a boxer will have a better handle on their strengths and weaknesses when they participate in an actual match. It is good to go up against a variety of opponents.

Males still have the advantage in this sport because there are several avenues they can take to move up, especially if they have an eye on the Olympics. Competing in the Golden Gloves, the P.A.L. tournaments and the Pan-Am Games are crucial steps in that direction. The Olympics are not yet open to female boxers, but work is being done in an effort to make that possible.

All boxers wanting to go pro should look into finding good trainers, as well as managers who have contacts with professional matchmakers. They should also join one of the professional boxing associations (IBF, WBO, WBC, WIBF), and obtain a license from the boxing commissions where they intend to compete.

Oscar Surprises Me

The summer session began last night, and a small group of people showed up. A few of them said they had read this blog, and one had seen an old review I had written about the gym on Yelp. That was good to hear that the blog was a vehicle to bring people in.

Oscar and I sparred again, and I stunned him a few times again. I even managed to get a few upper cuts in on him. But during the second round, Oscar hit harder and faster. I was clocked about the head a few times. He's slowly getting better. Alan told him not to dip down so low; Oscar still has to work on that. There were times I thought that he was going to end up in a headlock. I had a flashback to the fights my late sister Cindy was involved in. Putting someone in a headlock was always her signature move. Whenever her and I got into it, I was always mindful of staying out of position so she couldn't grab me like that. Our late youngest brother Ken wasn't so fortunate most of the time.

Mary came in and made an announcement that everyone needs to be paid up. Unfortunately, the ones who really needed to hear that were not in the gym last night. I told Alan that I need to remember to wear my Chicago Park District volunteer badge. I don't want to get him or I or the gym in trouble.

I had gone to Thillen's Stadium on Friday, but there was no boxing match. Instead, there were a couple of Little League games going on. I wonder what happened? I'll find out at some point.

I really need to start using that Grip Master I have at home. I brought it some time ago to work on my hand and finger strength. Last night, my right hand and wrist felt a little sore, especially when I was doing right hooks on the bag. I've had trouble on and off with my right ever since I injured it -- in the gym -- a few years ago. The Grip Master fits in your palm, and you press down on the buttons to give your fingers and hands a workout. They're not very expensive. I paid less than $15.00 for the one I have. I think I brought it through Ringside.

I received a kettlebell catalog in the mail yesterday. I had stopped using the ones I have when my left shoulder was injured over a year ago. I have no idea what I did to it. Honestly, half the time when I get hurt, or have cuts and bruises, I'm baffled as to how they got there. Anyway, it might have been residual pain from the car accident I was in back in 2005. It feels fine now. I want to build more muscle and strength, as I am not getting younger. What I really need to do is to lose that spare tire around my waist. I looked in the mirror while shadow boxing last night and thought, "I'm tired of looking like I'm a couple of months pregnant."

The Younger, Bigger Brother

Josh, who hasn't been in for awhile, came in with his "younger, bigger brother". Zev is 19 years old and 6 foot nine. Leon was taken aback when he saw him, and Leon is not a small man (6 foot 5). Josh's brother worked out for a little bit, but he was more interested in getting back to his hand-held video game. Oscar did not come in last night, and neither did any of the women.

I believe the spring session ends this week, and the summer session begins next week. Mary told Alan to watch out for people who show up frequently at the gym, but haven't paid the fee. It appears that several persons have been doing that for a long time. When Steve was there, he'd let folks get a workout in from time to time who hadn't signed up. But now, the Chicago Park District is auditing programs and cracking down. No one is going to be allowed to participate in programs for free anymore. I think most gyms have the problem of people just dropping in whenever to work out simply because the gym is open. But unlike private gyms, the Chicago Park District does not have a setup where people can pay for a one day pass to workout.

At the end of the evening, only Alan, Leon and myself were in the gym. Leon was talking about breaking up with a long-time girlfriend of his. He said something about "black women are materialistic." "Yeah, white women don't ask for things like black women do," Alan agreed. Leon looked at me and said, "No disrepect!" and Alan said the same thing. I had to agree that some black women do demand financial favors. I once asked a boyfriend to pay my light bill. I wasn't working at the time, and needed the extra money. The now ex-boyfriend did not honor my request (among other things he didn't do, but that's a long story), but expected me to help him a few dollars here and there. I found a job not long afterwards, and never asked him to help me financially again. I also stopped funding him, especially after he never felt the need to pay me back. The jerkass still owes me $200 dollars.

I learned that Toby (Kevin), Tracy Jr., and Nate Jr. are fighting at Thillen's Stadium tomorrow. I want to attend. The weather is supposed to be better tomorrow (it's raining today), and Thillen's is an outdoor stadium.

Hit Her!

I learned last night that one can't throw an uppercut when your opponent is bent over. But I did catch Oscar a few times while we were sparring. He's got to learn to keep his hands up. It was too easy to catch him full in the face with jabs and crosses.

Alan noticed something that I also did, that Oscar was not hitting very hard. Before Oscar and I got into the ring, Alan told me that I could hit Oscar harder than I normally when I'm in with one of the women. "You can hit her, Oscar. I don't mean whale on her, but you can hit her," Alan told him during round one. Oscar still didn't put much force behind his punches. "Come on, Oscar! Really hit her! You can do that!" Alan admonished him. I nodded my head in agreement. He put a little more pepper on his punches, but not much. I ended up stunning him a few times with some jabs and rights.

While it's nice to know that a lot of males are still being raised not to hit women, guys have to throw that training out while they are sparring with a female. It doesn't matter if they are in the boxing gym or in the martial arts dojo. An opponent is an opponent is an opponent.

Watchin' For Maggie

Maggie didn't come into the gym last night. Now I'm beginning to worry that I indeed scared her off.

I sparred with Katie, and I was very winded and somewhat dizzy after two rounds. "I can never get you into the corners!" she smiled. I don't think anyone has ever caught me in the corners in the ring. As short as I am, it would be too easy to just beat me down once they got me hemmed in.

Alan pointed out again that I seem to hold back on punching. "I go easy on the women because so many of them have never been in a fight of any kind. But I go harder on the guys, figuring they can take it," I told him. "Then I'll put you in with the guys more often. You and Oscar seem to be a good match," Alan replied. Oscar is not that much taller than I. He has a bad habit of not protecting his face, and I'm already feeling guilty about taking advantage of that. But Oscar has to learn to cover up, or else he might find himself laying on the canvas. As for Katie, Alan told me, "You have to get inside. You have to take a punch to give a punch", which is true.

The Chicago Park District tournaments will be written down in my day planner so I can keep track of them. They're starting late this year, beginning in July, and ending in early February of 2010. I'm going to try and get my pastor to come out to at least one. For the past several years, I've invited him to the boxing shows at Loyola Park, but he hasn't gone to one yet. Maybe his wife, Viriginia, will want to go too, and she'll encourage him to check it out. Loyola's show is not until September.

Where Are All The Women?

Raymond, who started off training with Barry and Yale, came in last night. He didn't much feel like sparring, but he did move around in the ring a little with Michael. Michael has a very, very deep voice. He said something like, "It's cool?" to Raymond. Raymond thought he said something about school. "Man, I've had this deep voice since I was 15 years old. I'm used to people sometimes not understanding what I've said," Michael laughed.

"Where are all the women tonight?" Alan asked me. "Maybe I scared them off," I joked, but I certainly hope that's not the case. I noted to myself that Maggie hasn't been back in since I knocked her out.

I haven't been down at the gym during when the kids are there in some time. There was one girl in Barry's class, but the last time I was there on a Tuesday or Thursday, I didn't see her. I wonder if she has dropped out. So few females stick with boxing. I wish more would. I also wish a lot of them would start younger. That's an advantage most male boxers have. I've known of both amateur and professional male boxers who started training while they were toddlers. Most females are in their mid-teens when they begin, if they start young. Other females are in their twenties and older when they take up the sport. If one plans to go pro, the younger the training starts, and the earlier one can get matches, the better.

Alan asked me if I would be interested in getting a match. "You know I can't box in a sanctioned match," I told him. He said there is a possibility of me getting a unsanctioned one. The boxing matches that take place during the Chicago Park District boxing tournaments are not sanctioned, as those are not recorded in the license books of the fighters involved. I don't think some white collar boxing matches are either, as there are no winners. People are rewarded more on the fact that they actually agreed to get into the ring. "I'd be interested," I told him. If I could get one knockout, maybe I could get another one.

Boxing Photographs

Katie and I sparred last night. I had the feeling that some may have been waiting for another knockout to happen, but nope. I got in a good overhand right, and some hooks to the body, but that was it. Katie still has the advantage of having long arms. You can also see from the picture that she is way taller than I. I asked Alan to take pictures of us sparring. I plan to send them on to my older half-sister Mary, who I have recently reconnected with after almost 30 years. It's a long story; I'll just say that our late dad was mostly at fault for that.


Katie and Maggie work together. I heard John asking her, "Where's your friend?" "I don't know," Katie replied. Later, Katie told me that last week was the first time that Maggie had used a mouthpiece. Maggie had commented that she had a hard time breathing exclusively through her nose while wearing it. While I was sparring with Katie, I found myself breathing through my mouth. The mouthpiece slipped as a result, and I had to push it back in place. It is very hard to breath through one's nose during the course of a round, but it should be done. Mouth breathing is always a sign to the opponent that the other boxer is tired.

Alan, Sadiq and Rafael (Ralphie) were talking about how tough body punches are. I haven't experienced too many of those, but they do take the wind out of a person. There is a reason why some trainers will tell their boxers, "Break down the body first, then go for the head."

John's son Josh came in the gym. The last time I saw him, he was a little guy. Now he's about 13 years old and lean. I was showing him how to hit the speed bag. I noticed it had been changed out again. Last week, the bigger speed bag was up; last night, the smaller speed bag was in place. I like the smaller one better. Too bad the speed bag platform can no longer be raised up and down. Both Josh and I had to stand on the aerobic steps to reach it.

My right knee was acting up all night, and today, the left knee has decided to take a turn. I don't bob and weave like I used to because of the arthritis. It irritates me because while I don't always have to go low with a tall opponent, I do need to do that with people closer to my height.

I knew people at my church were going to trip out about me knocking out Maggie last week. Margaret, the choir director exclaimed, "You hit a woman? My goodness!" Alex and Nigel shook their heads in amazement. Alex said, "See, I should have been in on that action. You should make me your manager!" David, the Sunday School Supervisor said, "Please tell me when you have your next fight so I can come to the gym." The pastor cracked, "Remind me not to drop my left."

Pepper On A Right Hook

Jilberto opened the door for me. Two unfamiliar guys walked in the gym. One guy, whose name I learned was Carlos, stated that he had signed up for the summer session. He wanted to check the gym out. The second guy looked like he was in his late teens. He barely grunted when I said "hi", then proceeded to punch on every bag in the gym.

He was kicking the smaller of the heavy bags. "Don't do that. That's not what they're for," I ordered. The guy asked Paul a few questions about the gym. I watched the guy carefully. He took one of the jump ropes, grabbed his backpack and jacket, and walked out of the gym. I followed him. "Excuse me, young man, but where are you going with that rope?" He walked back, mumbling something about wanting to jump rope outside. There wasn't that many people in the gym at that point, so he would have had plenty of room to do that there. "Why would you take a rope? That's Park District property. You can always buy your own," I said with a bit of irritation. He put the rope back and left again. Alan came in a moment later. "You just missed a would-be thief," I told him.

Later, I sparred with Katie and Maggie. I still have not figured out how to get around Katie's long arms. On top of that, she's getting better at feeling her range. I took a lot of shots to the top of my head.

Maggie and I are about the same height, so moving around her was easier. During our second round, I realized I kept moving the same way each time I threw a left-right combination. Maggie was able to anticipate what I would do next. "Why don't I try to slip a hook in?" I thought to myself. Maggie's left dropped for a moment after she threw a right. I came over with a right hook. The next thing I knew, Maggie was on the canvas.

My memory dialed back to the last time I physically knocked someone down. The first person that came to mind was a worthless ex-boyfriend who had the nerve to hit me nearly 20 years ago. I cut his cheek open with a right, and his head snapped back, but his 6'3 frame did not go down. There was a fight between my late younger sister and I that took place a few years before that. I do remember knocking her down and cutting her lip open in the process. That was a long, long time ago.

Maggie got to her feet and caught her breath. She assured Alan and I that she was okay, but she looked shaky. Alan stopped the round and took her gloves off. I asked her again if she was fine, and she said she was. "You're a knockout specialist, beating up on poor social workers," John the lawyer said, referring to Maggie's job.

Punching While Short

"Are you loosened up?" Alan asked me. "As much as a middle-aged woman can be," I answered. I sparred twice last night, first with Maggie, and then with Melanie. Maggie had no mouthpiece, so I had to pull punches and be extra careful of putting my fist in her face. I started off strong, throwing a lot of jabs, but I got tired out. Definitely need more conditioning in my exercise routine.

Katie and Heather sparred next. Katie is getting better at using her arm length. Heather's jabs are coming along, but she hesitates a lot before throwing the next punch. She doesn't use her right enough, either, but that will come in time.

When they came out, I got in with Melanie. She is getting more confident in the ring. I took a few hard shots from her. "You don't mind if I hit harder, don't you? I just assume that you will hit back harder," she said to me last night. "No, I don't mind," I smiled. I can take a bit of punishment. I've always figured that was because I come from a family of short women (on my mother's side) who are built quite tough. My Aunt Mary, who is 4'11, is always fond of telling people, "Dynamite comes in small packages." "Why were you hitting me on top of my head?" Melanie asked. Alan had told me a few times before to utilize the overhand right. But Melanie is closer to my height, than say, Katie.

Alan joked to Steve, a newer guy in the gym (not to be confused with the former coach) that he retired Kiki. Kiki was the doctor that used to come in the gym with his fiancee Sol. Kiki's eye was injured during a sparring match between him and Steve. Sol has come in on ocassion, but Kiki hasn't been in since.

Oscar and Leon sparred, and I noticed Oscar kept going for Leon's head. Oscar is not a whole lot taller than me, and I'm very short (5'1). Leon is about 6'5 and muscular. I thought, "If I was in there against Leon, I'd have to fight inside the whole time." I'd just waste a lot of energy constantly going for the head of anyone who towers over me.

Leon claimed that he was going to travel to an amateur boxing tournament in another state. Alan, Ralphie and Sadiq wanted proof. "Oh, I'll bring it in and put it up on the wall," Leon said.

Keys and People

Alan told me some time ago that he asked Mary if I could have a key to open the gym whenever he's running late or not going to be in. I wasn't surprised that Mary told him no. Nate Sr. has been volunteering with the kids in the gym for years, and he's never had a key. I'm not upset about it, because I understand the reasoning behind it. I'm not a Chicago Park District employee.

Also, it's not a good idea to allow everybody to have keys. That's a problem at my church, where there are three congregations, and people are often roaming in and out as they please. The fieldhouse is a public building. Keeping a tight rein on who has access cuts down on maintenance, custodial and security problems.

Barry left me a message that he left the digital scale out. I worried about that because from time to time, things do come up missing from the gym. Alan, after noticing all the gloves weren't matched up, wondered why someone would take one glove and leave the other behind. I don't have the key for the cabinet in the back, or else I would have locked it up. I did put in back in its case and put it behind the cabinet.

Older John, the attorney, came in last night, wondering, "Where is everybody?" Just like on Monday night, the number of people in the gym was small. My best explanation was that it is late spring, and the attendance always drops off after the Golden Gloves are over. Plus, once the weather gets warm, the gym attendance goes down even further. People don't necessarily want to be inside when the weather is nice.

Young John came in. He hadn't been around for awhile, and he inquired about Jim. I don't think I've seen Jim since February. "He trains at other places, then makes his way back here for awhile. Give it a few months, and he'll be back," I told John.

Leon must have given Sadiq a wallop during sparring. I was hitting the heavy bag, and had my back to the ring, so I didn't see the punch. I turned around to see Sadiq frowning at Leon and asking, "What the fuck?" Sadiq wanted to quit the sparring session, but was talked back into finishing the round. Alan warned Leon, like he always has to do, to take it easy.