Leon Signs Up

This past Monday, five new people showed up to start the Fall session.  The fifth person (and one of three women) was not exactly new; it was Arin, who used to come in the gym a few sessions ago.  She, like Ieisha, can only attend on one night, however, because of other obligations.  But it was very good to see her again.

The other women, Ashley and Vivian, spent time on the punch mitts.  They appeared not to be interested in sparring at all, which just leaves Ieisha, myself, and Arin (who has sparred in the past), to get into the ring.  I didn't catch the names of the two guys.  Jeremy, who used to workout at Clarendon, also came in.

Work your hands with punch mitts for boxing and MMA.

Leon signed up for the session this time around.  He spent a lot of the time watching the Mayweather/Marquez fight.  I had made a tape of it, and brought it into the gym.  I was going to leave a copy of it there for the gym, but decided to give that copy to Willie.  Willie asked me to make him one when I saw him in church this past Sunday.  I can always make another copy for the gym at another time.

I sparred one round with Oscar, then he went a few more rounds with Carlos.  If I do have a fight lined up for this Friday, I'd rather cool it on doing a lot of sparring.  No sense in me getting hurt before then.   Besides, I was fighting a cold, which thankfully, seems to have disappeared today.

Slugfest Snorefest

"That fight was garbage," Manny said to me when I ran into him outside of the Howard 'L station.  I had to agree that the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight was a washout.  Now I wish I hadn't paid to see it on pay-per-view. 

You know it was a bad night when two of the undercard fights were better than the main event.  Cornelius Lock knocked out Orlando Cruz and Michael Katsidis had some good moments over Vincente Escobedo.  I expected better out of Rocky Juarez during his match with Chris John.  John just danced around Juarez, and hit him at will.  But then, I didn't mind, because I thought the Mayweather/Marquez fight would be exciting.

"What is Marquez doing?" I kept thinking to myself as I munched on pizza (it was a special event, so I figured I turn in the twenty coupons I had to get a free pizza from JB Alberto's).  The man hesitated to throw punches the entire night, and when he did, there were few combinations given out.  Oh, he caught Mayweather in the head a few times, but "Money" just smirked at and out-slicked him.  Mayweather can be beaten, and he probably will one day if he doesn't retire again.  Marquez wasn't the man to do that, however.  His game plan, whatever it was, did not work against his undefeated opponent.

The most exciting part of the broadcast came after the fight when "Sugar" Shane Mosley told Mayweather that he wanted to get a fight with him.  Mosley and Mayweather seemed to be respectful of each other at first, then they got into an argument.  Announcer Max Kellerman was in the middle, trying to bring order.  Mayweather snapped that Mosley disrespected him by interrupting his interview with Kellerman, but it looked like Mayweather had told Mosley to come over in the beginning.  Kellerman tried to get a question in about fighting Manny Pacquiao, then Mayweather turned on the announcer like a Doberman.  "You talk too much", Mayweather snapped, and Kellerman looked taken aback.  As animated as Kellerman used to be during the boxing broadcasts on ESPN, I was surprised he didn't snap back on Mayweather.  Kellerman seemed a bit subdued during all of the fights that night.

Today is the beginning of the Fall session for the Chicago Park District, and as usual, I'm curious to see the new faces who'll show up at the gym tonight. 

Long Arms and Slipping

A guy named David came in last night.  He looked slightly familiar to me.  "I came in on another Wednesday, but the gym was closed," he said.  "That was probably that Wednesday that I couldn't get in, and Alan was out of town," I said.  "I was out of town?" Alan asked.  "Yeah, remember when I told you I came here, but no one was able to open up the door that night?" I said.  "I remember that conversation, but I don't remember where I went out of town," Alan replied.  "It's okay, we all have senior moments," I said.  "No, it's not okay.  I seem to be forgetting things a lot lately," he said.  Alan racked his brain for several minutes, and still couldn't remember.  "It'll probably come to me while I'm in the shower," he said.

Alan sparred with both Oscar and Johnny.  Johnny was a little nervous about getting into the ring with Alan; he hadn't sparred with him before.  Both men have long arms, but Alan's arms are a little longer than Johnny's.  Even though he's in his late 50s, Alan can still take some hits as well.  They did a couple of rounds before calling it quits.  Oscar was caught in the head and face by several of Alan's rights and lefts, simply because he wouldn't keep his hands up.  I kept telling to him to protect his head while he and Alan sparred.

I sparred with Johnny, and barely got around his arms.  I kept going in for body shots, but he would put a left out and effectively keep me back.  Once again, I started off like a firecracker, but by the time the second round was underway, I was worn out.  I managed to get some rights in on Johnny's head, but he got the better of the sparring session.  I was popped in my left eye, but the damage was slight, fortunately for me.  "You have to be right up on him to throw those overhand rights," I heard Alan say from the side of the ring. 

Later, Alan told me that I don't have to duck down so low to avoid punches.  I don't know why I do that, because I'm already low to the ground in terms of height as it is.  "The other boxer can't punch down, so you don't have to go so far down or move a lot to slip their punches," Alan told me. 

I'm looking forward to next Monday because the Fall session begins.  That means there will be a new crop of people, some of whom will hopefully continue to come to the gym for a long time.  The session is starting at somewhat of an inopportune time, however.  Loyola Park's boxing show is next Friday, and Alan is probably going to be focused more on those -- like Oscar, Carlos, Johnny and myself -- who might get matches then.

Shots and Knees

Justin told me that he liked Kindergarten so far.  He was in the middle of the ring, playing with his Spiderman action figures.  "You missed it.  I brought my Kindergarten class picture in, but you weren't here last week," I told him.  Later on in the evening, I attempted to sneak up on him while he was sitting on one of the tires in the gym.  At the last second, he saw me and grinned.  "He's learned to be quick in catching people do that.  I have a hard time sneaking up on him at home," his father Carlos said.

Carlos sparred with Oscar.  Both guys keep coming forward and going non-stop whenever they are in the ring.  It looked as if Oscar had punched Carlos in the stomach.  Carlos crouched down to the canvas and mumbled, "I need to wear a cup."  Turned out that Oscar had scored a low blow.

Alan got in the ring with Carlos next.  Carlos would start to throw his left several times, then stop short.  In between rounds, I told him, "It looks like you're faking him out, but then you don't follow up with a second punch."  "I begin to throw a punch, but then he backs up and is too far away for me to land it," Carlos answered.  I mentioned it to him again when the action resumed.  "I'm trying," Carlos said, while Alan bobbed and weaved.

Earlier in the evening, Mary asked me if I would sing the National Anthem for the field house's boxing show, which will take place on the 25th of this month.  It seems to be a tradition now.  I think I've sung the National Anthem there since 2004.  Mary pulled out a banner to display out front to announce the upcoming show.  "Any of the adults going to be in the show?" she asked.  Alan had been talking to Johnny, Oscar and Carlos.  Later that evening, he would also ask Ieisha.  "I'm not sure," I said, hoping that someone from the adult program might be able to participate.  Several of the kids usually do have matches.  Alan walked in as we were looking at the banner, and Mary asked him the same question.  "Well, I'm trying to get a match for Hillari", he grinned, pointing at me.

My stamina is way down.  I was telling Ieisha there was a time when I would go three or four rounds in the ring.  I remember doing sparring drills with Keith for five rounds once.  I only lasted one round with her last night.  I took a shot to my upper right chest in a sensitive spot (guess what spot), then was stopped momentarily by a body blow.  I went down on one knee to rest, just like I have seen professional boxers do on cable TV.  "You both need to wear chest protectors," Alan said.  I'm going to have to dig mine out of the closet at home and bring it in.

I seem to have had a hard time on the speed bag lately.  I believe it has to do with the platform.  When it was installed in the gym a couple of years ago (one of the free pieces of equipment we received from Everlast when the international boxing championships were in town) it worked like a charm.  No longer did I have to stand on a riser to reach the bag.  The platform could be moved easily to adjust to a boxer's height.  A minor adjustment had to be done to the platform, and handymen were called in to fix it.  I don't know what was done, but now, the platform can't be moved up or down.  So I'm back to standing on one riser, which still doesn't put me up high enough.  I read somewhere that a person's head should reach the halfway point of the speed bag.  If I stand on both risers, I'm too high. 

Save on speed bag platforms at Boxing Depot.

Ieisha and Oscar sparred, and he caught her in the back of the head twice.  She would come in just as he was throwing his right, and it would snake around to the back.  He also threw in an overhand right.  I had done the same thing while she and I were sparring.  "Now I know what that overhand right is!  I will need aspirin for those knocks in the back of my head tomorrow," she said.

What's Up With The Calendar?

Alan called Arturo, who is the coach over at Eckhart Park.  According to the Park District boxing show calendar posted in the gym, there's a boxing show scheduled for today.  Alan was trying to get fights for Oscar, Carlos, and myself.  "I'm weighing people right now," Arturo told Alan.  "What do you mean you're weighing people?" Alan asked.  Turned out that the boxing show was taking place the day Alan called.  That's the second time a date has found to be wrong on the calendar.  I'm going to go to the Park District's actual web site to double check the dates.

I was looking at some pink Everlast boxing gloves in a catalog the other day.  They're cute, but I don't think I would actually buy a pair in that color.  I do have a pair of red ones buried at home.  I used to joke that I picked the red color to match the blood of my opponents.

Yesterday, I stopped in a sporting goods store to see if they had any kettlebell exercise videos.  The fitness equipment section, where the exercise DVDs were, was on the top floor of the building.  No kettlebell DVDs, but they had some limited boxing equipment.  I saw an Everlast heavy bag, and wished that I could put one in my apartment.  It's doubtful that my landlord would let me hang one.  Fortunately, there are free-standing ones available.

Great heavy bags by Ringside and Everlast.

This past Wednesday, the crowd was small.  Ralphie, Oscar, and Johnny came in.  Ralphie battered Johnny several times while they sparred.  Johnny wasn't throwing many punches back after awhile; the man was noticeably tired.  Near the end of the last round they did, Ralphie did a dramatic fall against the ropes after Johnny landed a light punch on him.  Ralphie shook his head as if he had been stunned.  We all laughed about that.  Johnny said he saw the same trick done during a professional fight.  When the opponent came in for the kill, the boxer who was playing injured nailed him.

Oscar and I sparred, and my energy was high during the first round.  I stunned him several times with rights to the head.  I still have to concentrate on throwing hooks more.  I was winded most of the second round, but managed to hang in there, pinning Oscar against the ropes and in the corners a few times.  "That was the best I'd ever seen you spar," Alan told me.

Carlos and Justin were no shows, and I was a little disappointed.  I had brought my Kindergarten class picture in to show Justin, who started school this week.  Alan was amazed that I still had my class picture from back then.  Unfortunately, I only have that class picture, plus the ones from second, fifth and eighth grades.  The other class pictures were destroyed (don't ask), and I don't remember sitting for a third grade class picture.  Ralphie and Johnny guessed which kid I was right away.  Alan made wrong guesses until I pointed myself out. 

Quiet Action Night

"You gotta sign up", Alan told Sadiq last night. "This is why the gym is empty; people aren't allowed to work out for free anymore." Indeed, only Carlos, Justin, Johnny, and myself were in attendance last night.

Carlos and Johnny sparred. "Doesn't Carlos look like he's slowing up?" Alan asked me. "Yes, he does," I answered. "I'm tired tonight, and I still have to go to work later on," Carlos said. Justin wasn't paying too much attention to the action. He blissfully played with his Super Mario video game off to the side of the ring.

Turns out that Justin had orientation at his school earlier this week. He doesn't actually start Kindergarten until next Tuesday. I told him, if I remember, I'll bring in my Kindergarten picture for him to look at.

A friend of mine, Yaddi, sent me a message earlier in the day asking if I could train her. I told her where the gym was and the price of attending the gym. I was hoping she would come in last night to look around, but she didn't come in. Yaddi and I met when we were trying out for the roller derby three years ago.

At the end of the night, only Alan and I were left in the gym. This has been a really big lull period in the gym. The fall session begins in a couple of weeks. Maybe attendance will pick up then.

Miss Laila Silences Her Critics

People have often disregarded Laila Ali, but she looks like the real deal here, in a sparring match against a guy. . .

The Guys Put In Work

Jamil sparred with Johnny last night. He was hit on the arm, and it kept hurting and wouldn't stop. I figured he might have over-extended a punch, as well. "Alternate between putting ice on it and putting heat on it," I told him. I hope it doesn't get worse.

Carlos, the workhorse, sparred with all of the guys including Ralphie, who is real slick in the ring. "You can spar with whoever is left," Alan told me. No other women showed up last night.

While I was watching Carlos and Ralphie, I felt a light tapping on my back. I turned around and looked down to see Carlos' little boy, Justin. "Tomorrow is the first day of school for me. I'm going to Kindergarten," he smiled. "You'll like Kindergarten," I smiled back. I can't remember my first day of Head Start, but I still remember the first day I was in Kindergarten. I met a girl, Clintonia, who had her head down on the desk. The teacher, Miss Sheffield, introduced us. "I don't like being here!" she told me. I was a little taken aback because I was excited to be there. I had been bugging Ma about wanting to go to school ever since I was two years old. Clintonia and I also attended first and second grade together. We're still friends today. She became a grade school teacher.

"You'll learn your colors, your numbers, and your letters," I told Justin. "I'll learn how to write my name," he said. "Do you know how to read?" I asked him. He shook his head. For a second, I thought that was odd that a five-year-old doesn't know how to read, but that's normal. Just because I knew how to read when I was three, doesn't mean every kid should know how that early.

Alan was already missing Matthew, whom he took to military school last week. He was assured by the people there that his son will be taken care of, but there was still the "empty nest" thing going on. From what he told me, the military school is very dedicated to building up young men.

"Looks like all of the guys are tired out," Alan grinned after Carlos and Ralphie came out of the ring. "That's okay. I'm not going to make them spar with me," I laughed. The coach talked to Carlos about getting a fight at Simons Park next Friday. "Isn't that Johnny Heard's gym?" Alan asked, and I nodded. Mr. Heard was a professional boxer. I was listening to an interview Heard gave back in 2004, around the time of the Golden Gloves Finals for that year. "Boxing is all about money these days. You don't see guys doing slipping, etc., they just want to get in there and knock each other's heads off," Heard told the reporter. That is true to an extent, even though there are still boxers who prize technique. That appears to be the main fault with MMA, where the competitors just want to take someone out as quick as possible.

Vintage Knockout

I always appreciate a good knockout. Not necessarily on me (smile), but a beautifully executed one is a thing of art. Here's Vonda Ward and Ann Wolfe.

No Boxing Wednesday

Alan had to take his son to military school, so he told me he wouldn't be in on Wednesday. It appeared he forgot to let staff know that it was okay to open the gym that night if I came in. Rob, BK and Carol had no go-ahead from Mary to do so. Yeah, most of the staff knows me, and I've been in the boxing program for nearly eight years. I'm a Chicago Park District volunteer and a USA Amateur Boxing coach. But I never want to staff to get in trouble for opening up the gym when they didn't have permission to do that. Carlos, Justin, and Jamil showed up, but left a little while later when they learned the gym was closed for the evening. I hung around and talked to Rob for about a half-hour before I went back home.

Save on boxing equipment and gloves.

I was hitting the bigger speed bag on Monday, and it's very raggedy. It is still in decent shape to use, but the outside is falling apart. I never know which bag is going to be up there when I come in -- that bag or the smaller bag. Barry probably changes it when the kids are in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The smaller speed bag is easier to hit, but the bigger bag's advantage is that it makes one work more.

Before Comcast decided to move ESPN Classic so that those with the basic digital package -- like me -- can't see it anymore, I watched some of "Iron" Mike Tyson's matches. The announcer made a comment about Tyson coming to the ring wearing no socks with his boxing shoes. I've done that a few times when I forgot to wear socks, usually during the summers. I guess the sweat from one's feet would do some damage to the shoes after awhile in terms of the moisture.

Moving With Caution

Ieisha and I sparred last night for the first time in weeks. She naturally hits hard, and remembering the beating I took the last time, I proceeded carefully. Occasionally, I have bursts of energy while at the gym. Last night was one of those times. I felt light on my feet as I bounced around the canvas during the first round. I was chasing Ieisha around the ring too much, however. She turned away from me at one point as she was moving away. I landed an illegal punch -- by accident -- on her lower back.

One of her left hooks nearly took me out. For a moment, I thought I was going to collapse onto the canvas. After taking a few deep breaths, I kept going. Ieisha also got me good with a hard body punch to the stomach.

Alan told me that I would get a couple of good punches in, then I would back up. Since Ieisha is good at fighting on the outside, my actions would make it easy for her to clock me. I also have a bad habit of closing my eyes when a punch comes towards me. I've been trying to break that habit for eight years now.

It was a quiet night in the gym. Carlos and Justin, E and Markel, Jamil, and Ralphie were in attendance. Everything was copacetic until the end of the evening. A guy rushed into the gym, going on about how another guy was harassing him. He wanted help. "I ain't trying to get caught up in nothing," he kept saying. The second guy shows up, demanding that the first guy return a pair of shorts he lent him to wear. The two of them had been playing basketball in one of the other gyms.

The first guy insisted that the shorts were a gift. Despite of Alan offering the guy sweatpants that were laying around on the clothes rack in the gym, the first guy wouldn't back down. The second guy was talking about beating the first guy down. The first guy barked about the second guy and others always picking on him. As the argument continued, I got the feeling that the first guy wasn't wrapped too tight. Ralphie also tried to be a voice of reason, but it was a no go. Finally, Alan threw his hands up and hustled both guys out of the boxing gym. BK also made sure they got out of the building. BK was muttering under his breath about their attitudes.

My question is this: why did the first guy tried to get other people caught up in his drama? In my opinion, it was a petty dispute, certainly not worth going to war over. Alan and I encountered the second guy and a few of his friends when we got to Alan's car. Alan basically asked them something along the lines of, "is that really worth fighting about?" The second guy's friends seemed ambivalent, but the second guy was still hot about the whole thing. "I'll see that guy again," he grumbled. Alan and I shook our heads and headed home.

Getting The Uppercut In

Leon, Ralphie and Carlos did a bit of interval training on Wednesday. The drill went like this: one person hits the heavy bag for 30 seconds while another person holds it. Then the person holding the bag hits the bag for 30 seconds while the next person holds it, and so forth.

I sparred with Carlos again earlier that evening, and managed to make it through two rounds. I caught him a couple of times with uppercuts. "Nice," I heard Alan say from the sidelines. For the longest time, I have been trying to figure out how to get in uppercuts on opponents. As short as I am, it's not easy. Carlos likes to do a lot of bobbing and weaving. One of the times he ducked down is when I got him with a left uppercut.

Alan told Carlos that he was ready for a match, and he told him about a Park District boxing show that takes place next Thursday. Carlos works various shifts at his job, but he thought he'd be able to attend. "I have to talk it over with my wife before I say yes," he announced. "She's afraid of you being hurt," I said, and he agreed. He also talked about the possibility of being in next year's Golden Gloves. Since he's had no previous fights, Carlos would be classified as a novice in that competition.

Carlos told me that his son Justin would like to box, but his wife nixed the idea. He'll put Justin in basketball instead, when the boy turns six years old. Moms either are for their kids boxing or against it. There seems to be no middle ground when it comes to that. The ones who are supportive of it appear to be really into it when they show up at the matches.

The following day, I was on my way to help Pastor and Virginia clean and move some things up to their new apartment when I spotted Barry in the alley. Barry was working; he's with Streets and Sanitation. He was chatting with a neighbor of mine who lives on the other side of the alley. For several years now, I've been exchanging pleasantries with that particular neighbor, but I never knew his name. After I greeted them both, Barry told the neighbor, "Hillari is one of the boxers at the gym."

My neighbor smiled and said, "I figured that she was." To my surprise, I found out that he's Gabe's dad. His name is David. "I was looking for Gabe this summer," I told him. Gabe was going to college out of state, but he would stop in the gym several times during the summers. "He's going to law school downtown now," David said. I've always thought that David was a good-looking silver fox. Now I see where Gabe gets his good looks from.

He Keeps Going and Going. . .

When I got to the gym, only Alan and a colleague of his, Patty, were inside. "Where is everybody?" I asked. "Maybe the rain is keeping them away," Alan supposed. It was about twenty minutes before anyone else got there. Ricky's sons arrived first.

Carlos sparred with both of Ricky's sons. Ricky had a pair of gloves on. "Are you going into the ring?" I smiled. "Oh, no! I'm perfectly willing to be the parent who encourages the kids to participate," he laughed. The boys didn't do bad at all against Carlos.

It was my turn to step into the ring with Carlos. He and I had not sparred before. Carlos didn't hit as hard as he could have, but then, I wasn't hitting him hard, either. He willingly gave me some openings to get punches in, but by the middle of the second round, I was moving like an old turtle. Carlos was light on his feet, which was amazing, considering he had just gone several rounds with Ricky's sons. Carlos is like the Energizer Bunny whenever he's in the ring.

Carlos' son Justin gave both his dad and I curious looks when we came out of the ring. He said something like, "Dad, you fought the girl?" The little guy is funny to me.

It seems that I have fewer hand wraps than I did before. Some of them were given away -- I gave Jamil a pair, and I think I gave either Sadiq or JJ a pair awhile ago. I have a black pair that Country (Mike) gave me a couple of years ago, a couple of red wraps, and some blue wraps. The blue wraps are mismatched. One is from Ringside and I think the other is Everlast. Who knows how I misplaced the hand wraps. The blue ones are for kids's and women's hands, and they are shorter.

Get your boxing gloves and equipment for less.

I prefer the longer wraps because of the extra padding -- and protection -- they give my hands. There are many ways to wrap the hands to sort of cut down on injuries (but not completely). As a middle-aged person, plus being a writer and currently working as a church secretary, I have to be particularly careful about my hands.

It's The Shoes

I had ran into Barry on Tuesday afternoon as I was coming home from work. He was very concerned about Deo and his injury. I told him what Deo had said Monday about his progress. "I'm thinking of having a boxing class for 18 to 21 year olds," Barry said. That might be a good idea. Sometimes, I sense that the people in that age group may feel a little out of place training with old folks like myself. But then, I might be wrong.

Once again, I only lasted one round on Wednesday with Oscar during sparring. My stamina is way down, and I can't blame it all on age. Ieisha did better while she was in the ring with Jamil. Carlos sparred with Alan again, and he kept going like the Energizer bunny.

It's good that women's boxing will be in the 2012 Olympics. It's not so good that only three weight classes are allowed for the women. One of the men's weight classes were dropped to make room. Well, I guess having three weight classes is better than women not being allowed to box at all in that competition. Hopefully in 2016, the female boxers will be included more.

My boxing shoes have to be almost two years old. I noticed they're holding up pretty well. The last pair was made of faux leather. I'm very hard on shoes, so they wore out quickly. I've only worn my current pair outside once on Halloween. I was still working at the non-profit agency, and I dressed in my boxing shorts and jersey for the occasion. Not wanting to take the time to change back into my other clothes to go to lunch, I went outside as is. A lot of curious looks came my way on the Evanston streets that day.

Get your Everlast boxing equipment for less.

Ieisha pointed to a chest protector near the headgear. After Alan and Carlos sparred, she suggested that maybe Alan should wear the protector. "You're still able to feel those punches if someone hits hard. It's just like headgear -- it only offers so much protection," Alan explained. My chest protector is somewhere at home. It's somewhat of a pain to put on. But there have been times that I've wished I had it on during sparring.

Deo's Progress

It was a surprise when Deo walked into the gym last night. I assumed he'd be out for awhile due to his eye injury. Deo explained to Alan and I that his sight is still blurry in his left eye. When Leon hit him, the muscle around that eye got caught up in the bone fracture. Doctors were able to move the muscle back in place, but Deo has to be careful for awhile. He's still under a doctor's care. Deo hung around for awhile to talk to Alan, who also experienced a bad eye injury years ago.

Carlos sparred with Alan. The oppressive heat in the gym was bothering me, so I did one round on the uppercut bag, then I watched the guys. I reminded Carlos to keep his hands up. Alan likes overhand rights, and he tagged Carlos a few times with them. Carlos improves each time he spars. Regardless of what he gets hit with, he keeps coming forward. He tends to back away straight from his opponents, however, and I also reminded him to be mindful of that.

Upon looking at the class roster, Alan noted, "Ieisha hasn't been in for awhile." The other women have not been around, either. Some of that could be blamed on the weather. It's been too hot outside, and unfortunately, there's no air conditioning in the gym.

One of the last times I sparred, my mouthpiece became very loose in my mouth. Teddy Atlas of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" grumbled once during a match when a boxer's mouthpiece kept flying out onto the canvas. He stated that there's no reason -- or excuse -- for a mouthpiece to keep slipping out. It was a sure sign that it's not fitted properly. I've had both of my mouthpieces for several years. Maybe it's time to change them.

Get your boxing gloves and equipment for less.

Since I've had my mouthpieces, I've had five of my teeth removed: all four wisdom teeth, and another tooth in the back that was too bad to save. I'm guessing that when dental extractions have been done, a boxer should be fitted for a new mouthpiece. I would love to get one professionally done by a dentist, but the cost is steep. Most of the ones that can be brought from boxing equipment companies are very good, however.

Back To Sparring

Oscar and I sparred last night, and he has become greatly improved. He got me with many combinations. I got winded early, and it showed. Remember, I hadn't been sparring for awhile, not since Ieisha scored a TKO on me about a month ago. My mouthpiece was choking me. Alan ran water over it, and he was going to put it back in, but I declined it. I have to get used to wearing it again. "Keep your mouth closed," Alan told me.

I was popped in the mouth, and I tasted blood. After the two rounds were done, I asked Alan if I was bleeding, and he didn't see any red. This morning, I noticed a small cut inside my lower lip. That's the second time I've been cut open in the ring.

My eyes looked puffy too. Upon closer inspection, it looked more like signs of aging, a series of wrinkles/crows' feet forming. That was how Dad looked around the eyes the older he became. Today would have been his 76th birthday. I can still hear him laughing when he learned that I box.

I learned that Alan is about 10 years older than I. I remembered that Steve, the former coach, was about 12 years younger than me. I've now had the pleasure of getting boxing wisdom from both an older man and a younger man.

Alan sparred with the younger of his cousin Ricky's sons last night. I was relieved to see that he wore his headgear. I had just come off of sparring with Oscar, so I sat on one of the stools ringside to watch. Alan popped the kid a bit hard in the face. "I'm sorry!" he told him. "What are you trying to do, Alan? Kill him?" I joked. Later, Alan asked me, "Was I hitting him very hard?" "No, just that one time you caught him," I assured him. "I'm an old man, so I can't out slick guys in the ring anymore. I have to rely on my hands to keep them off of me," he explained.

I've been thinking about having a heavy bag in the house for some time. I have a plastic, inflatable bag that I brought from Everlast. It's okay, but it reminds me of that pop-up clown bop bag I had when I was a little girl. I can't hang one up in the apartment, but I could get a stand alone one, like a Cobra bag. If I had a heavy bag, I could also go back to practicing my martial arts moves. It's been a while since I've been in a martial arts class, but I still remember the techniques. Muscle memory is a beautiful thing.

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"You Do What?"

This past weekend, I attended my high school class reunion. The classes of 1978 and 1979 celebrated together (I'm part of the latter class). People were asking each other what do they do for a living now. "I'm a church secretary by day, and an assistant boxing coach at night", I told Dennis, one of my former classmates. His eyes lit up, and he laughed. "That's how we Whitney Young High School students are -- full of surprises!" he said. Then we talked about how good of a fighter Manny Pacquiao is.

Others at my reunion had similar reactions when I told them. Dorian, andother former classmate, had taken martial arts for a time. Her youngest son now teaches it. "I used to spar, but I got hit in the stomach once and that was it," she told me. I told her and several others about being knocked out in the gym a few weeks ago by Ieisha. The alumni cringed. "Wow, you are something else," someone told me.

Last night in the gym, I told Leon about the damage he'd done to Deo. Alan told me that Deo had his eye operation, and was doing fine. "You're kidding me," Leon said. "I feel so bad. I didn't think I hit him that hard." I thought the same way when I knocked out Maggie, but I underestimated my own strength.

Alan mentioned a bout to Leon that is taking place out in Mundeline. I overheard Leon say that he had no boxing gloves. I thought about a pair that I have at home, but I think they are more suited to martial arts than boxing. I brought them while I was still attending Degerberg Martial Arts Academy.

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Once again I teased little Justin about him and I sparring. He gave me a funny look as he played with his Spiderman action figures. "You must be thinking, 'this woman is crazy,' " I told him. He smiled at me. His father, Carlos, sparred with Alan. I was worried when Alan took a few hits; he was not wearing headgear. Carlos and Alan kept locking each other up. I was watching on the sidelines, calling out, "Break!" whenever they did.

Carlos also sparred with Ralphie. During the last 30 seconds of the last round they were in the ring, Ralphie let loose with some fast combinations. He had Carlos up against the ropes a few times while doing that.

Jamil is getting better in the ring. He was sparring with Oscar, who kept his head down too much. I wish I had paid more attention in my high school Spanish classes. Oscar doesn't speak a lot of English. It would be nice if I could help Alan relay instructions to him. But Ralphie, Carlos and Al help with that when they are around.

Fallout After The Punch

Mary was very concerned about Deo (not Deon, as I wrote on Monday) being hurt in the gym. She asked Alan to come down the hall to talk with him about it. They were gone for a long time, and I feared that Alan might get into trouble because of it. Deo is 19 years old, about 6 feet tall, and thin. Leon is 36 years old, 6'5, and is easily over 250 solid pounds.

Johnny was in the hallway jumping rope, and Ieisha was walking towards us, having just arrived at the field house. Johnny asked if Deo was okay. "Leon's punch broke Deo's eye socket. He has to have surgery next week," I told him. "No fucking way!" Johnny exclaimed. When Ieisha heard this she said, "I was thinking about not sparring today. Now I know I don't want to spar today." As my left hand is still acting funny, I wasn't hot on sparring either last night.

Mary put the hammer down: no one can work out and/or spar in the gym unless they have paid to be there. Alan wanted to make exceptions for people like Willie and JJ, who come in from time to time, but Mary would not budge. I told him, "Mary used to get on Steve about that all the time." I understand Mary's position. It's a liability issue. Leon is not officially signed up to train at Loyola Park. I also understand Alan's stance. It seemed to be a understanding that people who train at Chicago Park District boxing gyms could go train at other gyms in the Park District system without paying a fee. That would also go for boxing officials like Gary and Yale, for example. Even though it has happened, I'm assuming that it is not looked upon favorably by Park District administrators.

Willie remembered Leon trying to goad him into sparring one of the last times he was there. "I guess Leon made it bad for everyone else. Now I've got to come up with the fee," he said. Alan had to tell his cousin Ricky to sign up his sons, and he also told Art, a new guy, that he had to pay. "Mary's the boss, so I have to go along with it," Alan sighed.

Taking It To The Eye

I teased little Justin last night. He came in again with his father, Carlos. "You and I are going to spar on Wednesday," I told him. Justin gave me an amused look, and his dad laughed. Willie did a workout last night and noticed E's son. "Hillari, didn't you say that he was the one who knocked you out?" he winked. E's son gave us both a confused look as we giggled.

E thought he had taken a hit to his eye during sparring. I was working out on the uppercut bag while he was in the ring. He rested in the corner closed to where I was during the time out. "Is my eye swollen and red?" he asked. "No, not at the moment," I answered. His son stood next to Alan on the other side, helpfully holding up his dad's water bottle.

Alan's cousin, Ricky, came in with his two sons -- one 20-years old and the other 17-years-old. The sons worked out. "I saw your blog," Ricky smiled. More and more people that come into the gym tell me that.

Ieisha was going to ask me about sparring until she saw me rubbing my left hand. It doesn't hurt as much as it has been, but it still does, depending on how I move it. I was going to do uppercuts on the teardrop bag, but Ieisha suggested that I not do that. "I'm older and that's why it's taking me longer to heal," I said. "They say that 40-something is the new 30," she said. "Can't prove that by me," I grinned. Alan also asked me about sparring. When I told him about the continuing pain in my hand, he said something that indicated he found my claim dubious. "I don't want to get knocked out before I go to my high school reunion," I joked. I can imagine showing up with a black eye and having my former classmates thinking, "Who knew she was that crazy when we were all in school together?"

Deon (I think I have his name right) and Leon sparred. Alan kept warning Leon not to go so hard. I was working on the heavy bag that's closest to the ring, partially paying attention to the action. Several people gasped, and I turned to see Deon fall to the canvas. Leon had hit him in his left eye. Alan instructed Deon to remain laying down, and he did for several minutes. When he finally arose, Deon was a little unsteady on his feet. He said that his vision was blurry in that eye. I overheard Alan admonishing Leon about his heavy punching.

Alan ended up driving Deon to the hospital. I left a message for Barry to say that Deon left his bike in the gym -- he didn't have a bike lock, so that was the best place to leave it. I hope his eye is okay.

Protect The Hands

Ieisha asked me about sparring last night, and I turned it down. My left hand is still sore. Perhaps next week, it'll be okay to punch again. I just want to make sure. A boxer's hands are their most important weapons. If they're not functional, then getting into the ring is not a good idea.

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

Carlos sparred with Leon. While they were in the ring, Carlos' son Justin was recording the action with a little Nintendo gizmo. I didn't know such a thing existed; see, I learn something new every day. Leon popped Carlos good while he was up against the ropes. At the end of a round, Carlos was kneeling in a corner.

There another new guy in class who's name I haven't learned yet. He sparred with Ieisha instead of me. She was getting the best of him early in the game. A few left jabs got him square in the face. But then, the tide changed. Ieisha got tired, and her opponent had better wind. He backed her into the corners more than once. "He was trying to knock me out," she said afterwards.

I was thinking that while my late dad did not know how to box, he did know how to fight. There are numerous stories around about Dad putting beat downs on people. Unfortunately, he had a bad temper, and it didn't take much to set him off. A few months before he passed away, he was talking about jumping on someone whom he felt disrespected him. The old man was in the hospital at the time. "All you are going to do is lay in that bed and rest," I told him. His habit of putting his hands on people influenced my boxing to an extent. But, fortunately, I learned a long time ago that always being on war alert is not a good thing.