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.