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.

A Shiner

Mike came in sporting a shiner. Junior said, "What the . . .?" It was from when he sparred Sadiq on Wednesday. Didn't know he was hurt like that. Reminded me a little of Neil, who used to bleed everytime he stepped in to spar. I still remember Sean, a tall, thin guy that used to train at the gym. He was bleeding at the Golden Gloves, before he even got into the ring with his opponent! I remember Josh and I looking at the drops of blood on his towel and commenting on how strange that was.

Josh came in and announced he graduated from college. In a few months, he'll be on his way to Japan to teach English for a year. I told him he's got options now that he's received his degree, so why not go for it? On the flip side, Junior was saying he didn't know what he was going to do. He needs a better paying job, but is not sure if he should also think about returning to school. "Back in the day, people didn't need to have degrees, did they?" he asked. Steve told him to look up the word "deindustrualization". "I could have just got a job and kept working after I graduated high school," I told Junior, "but nowdays, you have to have a degree just to have someone look at your resume." Junior keeps talking about going pro from time to time, too. Oh, to be young and have numerous opportunities.

Maria, the roller derby member, didn't come in tonight to learn some boxing drills, and about a couple of hours ago, I found an email from her. She said she was still available for tonight, but of course, I got the message too late. She has a new cell phone, so I emailed her my home number so we can set up another time. I've been going through my boxing books at home to come up with routine for her. I'm assuming she'll want some things to put into use right away, so starting up slow with the basics may not be practical. It probably would be a good idea to show her exercises specific to boxers, instead.

Gotta Do The Work

Keith asked Steve if he could get him a fight. Steve refused because Keith always wants to fight, but doesn't want to train hard. "We've been down this road before," Steve told him. It was pointed out to Keith that getting him fights is never a problem. However, it makes no sense to put someone in the ring when they haven't prepared enough to face an opponent.

Boxing is not an easy sport. Doesn't matter if one is in the pros, or in the amateur ranks, or in the yuppie world of white collar boxing. In order to be successful at it, you have to work. My main goals are to keep the skills up for self-defense purposes, and to get and keep in shape. I was glad that I was at the gym for more than two hours today. I needed the workout. I needed to sweat. I needed to come home tired and sore. The work has to be put in.

No, I don't like jumping rope. It's a chore to do the crunches, sit-ups and squats. Some nights, I can't get my mind in the right place to focus on getting the right rhythm on the speed bag. There are times I hit the heavy bags improperly, and my hands and wrists sting. There are other times I move like a turtle with a limp when I should be up on my toes. But I keep working, because I'll never get better if I don't.

Fighting At The Aragon

Barry was on a local independent radio station this morning to talk about the boxing program. There is a documentary that was done by Steve's brother-in-law, Kevin, that will be shown in early June. The documentary will focus on the youth boxing program. Junior's name was mentioned several times. Junior and Steve were supposed to be a part of the interview, too, but Junior stayed in bed, and Steve had to rush Ellen to the hospital. She is fine now, but it was a bit scary earlier.

The host of the show asked Barry if there had been an adult female boxer at the gym who was a graduate student. Barry mentioned mine and Lan's name. "Maybe it was Hillari," the host said. "Yeah," Barry said, "she's at Northwestern." I wish I had the time and money to go to grad school! I got a good laugh out of that.

Steve was able to make it to this afternoon's match at the Aragon. Mike came along, too. The place had been a ballroom back in the 1930s and 1940s. It is used for concerts and sporting events today. The program was a fundraiser for research to cure cystic fibrosis. It was a pro-am fight, meaning both amateur and professional matches were featured. The draw was what was the last amateur match for a kid named Tome who is also a football hero at Notre Dame. The kid won, which I suspected he would, against Jeff, or TNT, as he is nicknamed. The crowd was clearly on Tome's side. News cameras were all around the ring to catch the action. I'm still trying to figure out why Tome is touted so much as the next best thing in boxing.

Junior was getting the best of his opponent, but for some reason, the judges were not watching the same one everyone else was watching. Junior was robbed. An older man came up to Steve and Junior immediately afterwards and said, "That was a bullshit decision!" Sadiq won his match. His opponent caught him a couple of times with some hard shots; Sadiq had his head up. After the second time, Sadiq stayed low.

Junior was pretty bummed out that he lost. He said that his brother had admonished him about losing other fights, stating that Junior had "talent, but not skills." I think that sometimes, Junior listens too much to negativity from others about his boxing.

Flurry Of Activities

I sang the National Anthem before a show at the fieldhouse that highlighted the sports activities that take place there. The focus was mainly on the kids' participation in the programs. Diego, Kevin and Nate Jr., along with Barry, did a boxing demonstration for the crowd. Before the show started, I caught the eye of a baby who seemed to be fixated on me. His dad, Michael, joked that his son could not take his eyes off me. The baby was a very pretty boy who had a light mocha complexion and soft, sandy brown curly hair. I played with him a little before and after I sang. His wife, Allison, came in with their older son, who had been featured in an earlier portion of the show. The older son was a good looking kid, too.

The gym had a lot of people hanging 'round for the first portion of the evening. Sam was there, along with a kid who I had not seen before. I assumed he was a new guy in Barry's class, because Barry was giving him a lot of encouragement. Barry saved a T-shirt for me with the same of the boxing gym printed on it. I thought that was very nice. Made me feel very appreciated.

Was offended by an answer to a boxing question I saw on Yahoo! Answers earlier. A woman wanted to know if boxing was a good workout to lose weight, and another woman told her to avoid the sport if she didn't want to look like a man. Mia St. John, a professional boxer, doesn't look masculine to me. Neither does Laila Ali. Looks as if people are still not aware that very few women have the capacity to naturally build themselves up to look like professional bodybuilders. Only 2% of women can do that; the others have help, usually of the wrong kind (steroids, anyone?).

The Joints

Larry came in the gym, which has become a rare occurrence lately. He told me that school was out for the year, so hopefully, he will come in more often during the summer.

Mike and Junior sparred for a few rounds. Steve found a print out of sparring drills, and he had them try them out. Afterwards, Junior felt that Mike had more stamina, but I could see that Mike became tired out more quickly. Junior, on the other hand, didn't appear to break a sweat. Junior never seems to actually get tired, despite the fact that he often claims that he is. "I'm tired of these young men talking about they're tired!" I tease him whenever I hear him claim exhaustion.

Finally had to admit something to myself: it takes longer for me to get up off of the floor these days. There are a couple of aerobic steps in the gym. I seem to to be the only person who uses them. I'll sit on one of them to put my boxing shoes on, then struggle to stand up. The same thing happens when I get up off the mat from doing crunches and push ups. It's too easy to blame weight. I have to face the facts: it's age.

My middle aged joints don't have the spring they used to have. It's funny, though. . .when I'm jumping around practicing punches and footwork, I don't notice my right shoulder acting up or my knees cracking. It's as the clock turns back twenty years, and I'm able to glide and fly.

Place of Deep Pockets

Sadiq and Diego had matches at a non-for-profit fundraiser held in the Gold Coast neighborhood. During the evening, a silent auction as well as a live auction was held. A lunch with Laila Ali went for $4,000, while a visit with her dad on his Indiana farm went for $8,500. A lot of people with deep pockets were in the room that night. The attendees paid $175 per ticket to be there.

Junior came along, but the guy he was supposed to have a match with crapped out. We joked that the guy was scared of him. The guy was the 2005 Golden Gloves champion. Since Junior is the 2006 champion, that would have been a good fight. Kevin should have had a fight, too, but that fell through as well. Both Sadiq and Diego won their matches.

I met Mike, who is the head of the Illinois Boxing Association. He announced that there would be an all female boxing show soon. There may be an opportunity for me; I hope.

Missing In Action

A guy was talking to Steve about taking up boxing. I guess the guy asked how many people are normally signed up, because Steve asked me how many I thought there were. It appears that about 40 people are signed up at any given time. Many do not come in on a regular basis, like Rias (I've been spelling his name wrong; I hope that's the correct way) who came in on Wednesday. Some showed up once or twice, but never came back, yet their names are still on the roster.

Gilberto, one of the fieldhouse staff members, asked Steve and I had we heard from Lan. She's been on my mind lately. A few months ago, she was assigned to a military base in Missouri. Steve had emailed her awhile ago, but the email bounced back to him. I hope all is well.

From time to time, I wonder what happened to Igor. He was a middle aged man of who was a regular in the gym when I first started training there. Igor didn't have a good command of English; I don't remember which country he was from. Half the time, we couldn't make out what he was talking about. He would ask Steve a lot of questions, often while the coach was trying to concentrate on something else. Got on Steve's nerves sometimes.

Ike was a young man who had a great interest in boxing and seemed to be moving up. He had a lot of personal challenges: job issues, family issues, financial problems. Ike had moved to another city for several months, then came back, claiming to want to get back in the game. His appearances at the gym became sporadic, though. Rumors began to fly about drug use, drug dealing, and child support problems. I was surprised to find out that Ike had a toddler. One of the last times I saw him, Ike attempted to work out with alcohol on his breath. Steve admonished him about coming to the gym under the influence.

Betty was a tall, big boned woman who came in on and off, but regularly than most of the women who have been there. She had to have been six feet tall. I liked her. She was very articulate. Steve put her and I together in a sparring match. I dipped down to avoid her fist at the wrong moment, and her glove came down on top of my head. I had a headache the rest of the night, and was sore for days afterwards.

Mike and Dorian were a couple. Dorian worked at the martial arts school I used to attend, and Mike had taken classes there. Mike had also graduated from the same high school I attended, although years after I had gone there. Dorian didn't come in often, but Mike was usually in the gym. Dorian was sophisticated, and Mike, a tall, friendly, lanky guy, always seemed in awe that he landed such a woman. They moved out of the neighborhood over a year ago.

New Toys To Play With

Steve was back in the gym on Friday. His wife is better. Turns out she doesn't have strep throat, but what looks like a bad cold, which is torture enough.

The new equipment he ordered some time ago finally came in. A new medicine ball, a maize ball, groin protectors, a fast feet (to help a boxer stay in correct stance and build up power in the legs), aerobic shadow boxer, an ab wheel and jump ropes. I noticed that a T-shirt and hat was included in the order. I guess because a certain amount was spent on the equipment, a few free items were thrown in. Steve gave me the hat.

I have an ab wheel at home, but I seldom use it. Great exercise for the abs and arms, but hard to use. After trying the one at the gym, I gave up and did regular push ups and crunches. My upper body strength could be improved; I don't do many push ups before my arms start crying for mercy. My strength in actually in my legs.

It was another one of those nights where I had to force myself to focus on the workout. I'm becoming tired of spending part of or all of my workout taking out my anger over irritations at work; it's been happening too often over the past couple of months.

Got some good news when I stepped on the digital scale; I lost a few pounds. Haven't been eating a lot of the junk I was last week.

Somewhat Of A Lull

Ben wondered if the warmer temperatures were keeping people out of the gym. Only myself, Ben, Junior, Logan 2 and Joe were there tonight. Weather could have been the reason, but there is a bit of a lull right now before the Chicago Park District summer boxing show season starts. Steve stayed home; Ellen was sick, and he wanted her to rest while he took care of their son.

Junior was telling me that jogging was the best thing. He jogs and runs all the time. I may take that up now that the seasons have changed. There is a track not far from the house that I can use. I admitted that I have been very lazy about roadwork (running/jogging); I don't do it. I want to in-line and roller skate a lot this summer to help with stamina and endurance. Now all of my skates are street ready, including the rink skates, which were converted to street skates. I put street wheels on them, replacing the old indoor wheels.

A kid came in and asked about the gym. He was harmless enough, although I did have to lightly admonish him against hitting the bags and jumping rope. Had to tell him a few times to come back when the kids are in the gym. Didn't want to discourage him; when I see kids hanging around the gym door looking curious, I'm helpful with giving information.

Good Sparring

Saddiq sparred with Pierre, a guy who normally trains with the Evanston Boxing Club. Pierre has sparred with Junior in the past. Saddiq continues to amaze me as how mild-mannered he appears to be, and his viciousness in the ring. Pierre's nose was bloodied up a bit.

Only two of the new folks showed up tonight: Fara and Mike. I promised Mike I would show him how to put his wraps on the next time he comes to the gym.

I was pooped out early. Eating too much of the wrong stuff this week, namely Eli's cheesecake, and not exercising at other times are the culprits. I'll be glad when the outdoor roller skate wheels I ordered come in this week. The weather is getting better, and I'm going to do a lot of street skating to supplement working out in the gym.

The Little Gym That Could

Found out yesterday that Saddiq is now the Citywide Boxing champion in the 147 lb. weight categeory. God has really smiled on our gym this year. There have been so many championship wins over the past several months.

Both of the women who are named Logan were at the gym last night, but the other newbies were missing. I understand that Fara was in the gym on Wednesday, the day I had to go to choir rehearsal, but she was the only new person that night. Already people are skipping out. I'm surprised that Crystal didn't show up. She seems to be the most interested out of all of the new people. The weather may have contributed to the absences, too. It was extremely nice, warm enough for me to wear shorts to the gym.

Neil, who hasn't been in the gym for awhile, stopped by with his kids, a little girl named Carmina, and his baby son, Luka. I was shocked at how big Luka was. He looked more like a two year old child than a baby who's only a few months old. Carmina was her usual shy self.

Junior was grumbling about having to pay the IRS. He was also complaining about having to pay rent to his dad. At least his dad only asks him to pay once a month. Mine wanted rent out of every paycheck I got. That nonsense was squashed when I moved out of the house when I was twenty, which is how old Junior will be in a couple of months. Steve asked him when was he planning to move, but Junior didn't have a idea. He's thinking about dropping his cleaning business and getting another nine-to-five gig. I wish he would consider going back to college. It'll help him in the long run.

Saddiq Surprises

I attended the 2006 Tony Zale Chicago Park District Citywide Boxing Tournament (that's a mouthful) llast night. I had never been to that tournament before. It was held at Curie High School on the southwest side, a school that boasts about having the biggest gym in the city. I'll give them that. My high school's gym was huge, but Curie's looked like they had more room. Recognizing that the school sits in an area that has had its share of racial problems, like a lot of neighborhoods in Chicago, I got off the train prepared for smart remarks from passersby.

Two rings were set up. There were too many boxers to have one match going on at a time. A little confusing to hear two sets of bells going off, however. Hard to tell sometimes when the round had ended for which fight, and the boxers were thrown off a little bit, too. Things went along at a fast clip. There was no time to linger. Barry gave me his video camera and asked me to tape the matches.

A few of Barry's boxers--Joe, Freddie, Alex, Kevin and Montrell--were on hand. Only Joe, Freddie and Kevin had matches, and of those boys, only Freddie came out a victor. The towel was thrown in on Joe. Montrell was expected to get a match, but I'm not sure what happened with that. Some of us from Steve's stable were there--Mike, Junior and Saddiq. Saddiq's fight was at the end of the evening. I think his bout was number thirty-nine.

Saddiq was quiet and appeared to be a bit nervous before his bout. Once he stepped into the ring, the pops he gave his opponent echoed off the walls of the gym. The crowd had thinned out a little by that time, but those who were left were fascinated by what they saw. So was I. A man with an island accent stood next to me and asked, "Where dat boy from?" "Nigeria, I believe," I answered. "Dat boy fights like a muthafucka!" the man exclaimed. Just then, Saddiq cracked a fist into the face of the other boy. "If I got hit like dat, I'd have to go for my guns!" the man continued. I laughed at his remark. Saddiq then knocked the other boxer to the ground. About three times, the other boxer had to take an eight count. "They might as well stop da fight!" the man said. "No sense in dat boy gettin' hurt!" The referree agreed with him and did so. "He's young," the man told another bystander, referring to the losing boxer, "he can fight at another time."

The usual cast of characters were at the tournament--Shifty, Kitchen (who I found out last week was a former Golden Gloves champion), Allan, Gary, Yale, Chupi (a coach at Windy City Gym), and the coach everyone loves to hate, George. Tina, a major player in Chicago's amateur boxing scene, was also there, as was Samantha, a teenaged boxer who had come down to Loyola once.

Champions and Brawls

Junior's name was called before any matches started at the Golden Gloves this past Friday to come to the glove table. Those of us from the gym in attendance at that moment--Sarah, Saddiq, Keith--sat up in anticipation. The annoucement could only mean that Junior was going to be one of the first to fight that evening. His match was number three in the line up. Steve and Barry rushed to get him ready. Mary, Mike, and Ellen (along with Eli) arrived not long afterwards. The place was packed and practically sold out.

I could see Junior's opponent over in a far corner of the gym, warming up with his trainer. "Junior can take him," I thought to myself. Sure the guy was a little bigger in the muscles department, but he had looked very sloppy during his semi-final bout.

Novice fighters only go three rounds during the finals, as opposed to open fighters who have four rounds to get the job done. I was surprised when the fight ended, thinking there was one more round to go. Junior's fight had been featured in the program for that night. It was explained that novice fights are not usually given that attention, but powers that be saw something in Junior's skills that they liked. They felt that he would win, but they also listed his weaknesses. Apparently, his opponent had read that in the program, because his style was a little different than what he showed in the ring the previous week. Junior watched him carefully, and set him up for punches.

The announcer rambled on about the T-shirts on sale, the beer available to drink, and the special guest who would award the trophy to the winner. I was on pins and needles. I used to bite my nails when I was a kid, and was seriously thinking about taking up the habit again at that moment. Steve and Barry stood in Junior's corner, looking like they had patience in waiting for the judges' decision.

When Junior's name was announced as the 2006 Chicago Golden Gloves 165 novice divison champion, I jumped up from the bleachers and yelled my approval. We were all proud of his accomplishment; he worked hard for it. Junior only smiled for one of the pictures that was taken afterwards, though. I would have been hopping up and down if it was me, but Junior was quiet and subdued. "You're the city champ, man! Smile!" we told him. "I don't know, I just don't like smiling for pictures," he said. Junior did hang out in the audience, however, basking in the kudos that people gave him.

Saw the Judah-Mayweather fight at Steve's house on Saturday night. Very good match, but an ugly incident happened near the end of the bout. Judah gave Mayweather a low blow and a pop on the back of his head. Both punches looked deliberate. Mayweather stumbled to his corner, bent over in pain. His trainer jumped into the ring, mad as hell. He threatened Judah, and the referee, Richard Steele, attempted to head him off. Then Judah' s dad, who is also his trainer, jumped into the ring and yelled at Mayweather's trainer for approaching his son. A punch was thrown, and about fifty people, including cops and security guards, flooded the ring. I'm surprised the fight was not stopped, not only because of the mini-riot, but also because of the wicked low blow. But continue it did, and Mayweather ended up winning.

It was a good time, as both babies--Steve's son, Eli, and Barry's daughter, Lily, were in attendance at the viewing party. Now that I've had another good look at Eli, he has his mother's eyes, but his dad's face. Lily is a little charmer who smiled a lot. Also, Allan, a guy who judges matches was there. He told us that he had met Sugar Ray Robinson, when the boxer was at the end of his career. His brother, like Allan, was also involved in boxing and knew a lot of the big names, including Ali. Fascinating stuff. Another guy there, Marty, told me he had been involved with boxing for 22 years, starting off as a fighter. Makes me wish I had started earlier.

Wildness and Productiviity

Today was the beginning of the spring session, and several new faces were on hand. One of the newbies is an emergency room medic; another has a two-year daughter at home. Of everyone, Crystal, a curly haired woman, seemed to be the most eager to learn technique. I had fun showing all of them the basics, while Steve worked with Junior and Saddiq. Junior will be back down at the Golden Gloves this week for the finals, and Saddiq will be in the park district's city-wide tournament next week.

There was another guy there tonight named Joe who normally trains under Barry. He came in to get some extra training, but Joe did not do well on the bags nor against Saddiq while sparring. Barry had told Steve the kid could box, but Steve had his doubts.

Junior and Saddiq went out to sprint around the baseball field. When they came back, they announced there was a huge fight going on outside the fieldhouse doors. Steve went out to investigate. Seems that two to three guys were in the middle of a dustup that brought out a crowd of people. Steve saw one guy with a bat. Another guy was yelling about going home and getting his guns. The police showed up and patted several people down for weapons. Mary looked worried as Steve and I left the gym at the end of the evening. Her staff had to do some crowd control before the cops came in. I wonder what was so serious that those guys felt they had to let their conflict get that far. Knowing the neighborhood, it might have been some gang nonsense. It could have just been bad blood from a long time feud, but in any case, I'm sure it wasn't worth gaining the attention of the cops.

White Collar Washout

I did some research and find out something that I already knew--those who are members of USA Boxing, like I am, can't compete in white collar boxing matches. Looks like I wasted my time going down to JABB Gym this past Saturday to put my name in for their their next boxing show of that type. I had hoped there might have been some way to get a match that way, but I was foiled again.

Recently, there was an article about NYC banning white collar bouts due to safety reasons. Those matches are not sanctioned by USA Boxing. They exist in a shadowland between Toughman contests (which are also not sanctioned) and amateur matches. There are three rounds that last two minutes each, and both boxers get a trophy, regardless who was the victor. The idea behind that is that white collar boxers are made up mostly of professionals--lawyers, doctors, real estate executives, etc.--who allegedly aren't used to being told "no", and don't take it well when they are, so hence the "everyone's a winner" deal.

Legislators in NYC are looking into rewriting the rules so that white collar boxing matches can continue, which would be a good thing for the older gyms that depend on the revenue that white collar boxers bring in. That's how many private gyms have kept their doors open in recent years.

Afterglow

Rios showed up tonight. He's a swarthy guy who, like so many others, used to come around on a regular basis until other things in life intervened. Keith came in again, and even did some light pad work, but that was it.

I held pads for Ben for three rounds. Holding the pads (punch mitts) is something I need to practice more. It is a skill. If done correctly, it can be like sparring. Pads have to be held right to cut down on possible injury. If the other person is a hard puncher, like Ben, the person holding the pads has to hold them in a way to absorb the inpact properly.

There was a bit of a high in the gym coming off of Junior's win last night. Some of it rubbed off on Joe, who asked Steve if he was ready to have a match. However, Steve told Joe that if he had to ask, he might not be ready yet. The city-wide Park District championships are coming up, and Steve is looking at putting Saddiq in. Saddiq worked on his jab tonight, and it looked better.

I told Steve about me looking into signing up for a white collar boxing match in September. I was advised to check if those bouts are sanctioned by USA Boxing. I remember being told by someone else that they were not. Something to consider, especially if I got jacked up badly. There would be no protection insurance-wise if that is the case. Steve thought that there might not be the age restrictions in white collar boxing like there are under USA Boxing.

Closing Up Shop Early

Ellen came by to pick up Steve, so the the gym closed up earlier than usual. Got to meet their son, Eli, and he is adorable. They gave me a ride home, and the little guy slept the entire way. Now that's I've seen him, I think he looks a lot like Ellen.

Earlier in the evening, Keith stopped by again, looking like he wanted to get back in the game, but not quite sure how to do that. Gabe came in also, stating that he was going to St. Andrews tomorrow to watch Junior's fight. Steve had a copy of Junior's preliminary fight, and all the guys in the gym were crowded around Steve's laptop to view how he took out his opponent.

I'm a little nervous for Junior because I want him to win, especially after being accused of cheating last week. I think he can pull it off.

Last One Out Of The Room

Steve had told Mike to take the night off tonight. Mike lost his bout on Thursday, so he won't be going on to the semi-finals. He took a few hard shots and tired out early on. His opponent was tall with a long reach. His opponent was also out of the Evanston Boxing Club, an outfit who seems extremely lucky in winning matches.

The other Mike, the tall one, showed up briefly tonight in a pair of sandals. He asked Steve to step outside to talk to him, and I instantly got the feeling something was wrong. When Steve came back, he announced that Mike had quit the gym. He had told Steve he was very busy (he's a student) and didn't want to approach the sport half-assed. A few of the other guys made fun of the fact that tall Mike didn't come back in to say goodbye, but I understood--it was a pride thing.

Keith showed up again, and so did Mort, who hadn't been in the gym for I don't know how long. I remember how he slipped his phone number to my niece. I keep thinking that Mort might make a better boyfriend than that character she's mooning over now.

Steve hadn't slept much over the past couple of days. The combination of being at the Gloves and having a newborn son at home took its toll, so he jetted for home early. I closed up after all the other guys left. It's a nice feeling being the only one in the gym. I pretend that that it's my own personal workout space. I wish I could afford to have something like that at home.

He Punches, He Wins

The Golden Gloves is never without a bit of drama. After watching the unusual moves of his opponent, a guy from a place called Korea Gym, Junior figured out how to catch him with his punches. The guy went down twice, and the referee stopped the fight in Junior's favor. The coach of the other guy raised all kinds of hell, accusing both Junior and Steve of cheating.

The coach maintained that Junior was an open fighter and should not have put up against his guy. Steve easily proved otherwise, but the Korea Gym coach kept running his mouth. It got so bad that Gino, one of the refs, was also accusing Steve of misdeeds. Just an ugly scene.

Mike's fight is tomorrow night. Seems there are a lot of guys in his weight class and the officials had to double up a lot of the fights.

A Woman's Best Friend Is Her Heavy Bag

This week has been horrid. I didn't make the roller derby team, my landlord didn't check that I paid my rent and gave me an erroneous eviction notice, my boss and I had an arguement. What else is a woman to do? Go to the gym.

Every woman should have access to a heavy bag. Nothing like pounding out one's anger on it. You just envision whoever or whatever it was that pissed you off and then beat the bag into submission. I thought of taunts while I hit the bag. For the roller derby team: "So I'm supposedly not good enough even though I've been skating for 30 years? Take that!" For my landlord: "I'm taking your ass out for not posting my rent payment correctly for the third time!" For my boss? I danced around the bag and threw my hardest punches until I was so tired I had to sit down, catch my breath, and calm down for a round or two.

This past Wednesday, there was another of those moments when everyone in the gym froze. Junior hit Mike hard enough to knock the wind out of him during a sparring session. Mike groaned and crumpled to the canvas. He recovered, however, and finished out the time. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them compete in the Golden Gloves next week.

Tonight, Keith dropped in. "You stay out in Aurora?" I asked him. I remembered he had a girlfriend who was out that way. "Naw, I'm still in Evanston, but it's hard to get around without a vehicle," he said. "Yes, Lord, don't I know it," I said, agreeing with him. Last year at this time, I was driving to and from the Golden Gloves in my own car.

Judging by how frosty my boss and I have been towards each other most of this week, asking him if I can leave early for the Golden Gloves will probably be a waste of time. What did he tell me during our arguement the other day? I gave him a suggestion as to how I could get a rather difficult task he gave me and he tells me he didn't want to hear it. I'm always complaining and being "rude and insubordinate", he said. Another hard pop on the heavy bag. The chain holding the bag jerked angrily in the air. I do the work, regardless, don't I? I get things done, DON'T I?
My right hand smashed into the bag over and over.

No Cigar As Usual

After enduring the obnoxious people who were riding the trains on their way to a St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Chicago this past Saturday, I made it to Windy City Boxing Gym to renew my boxing membership in USA Boxing. I was told straightaway by the head of the local boxing council that there was no Masters Division this year. No surprise there.

I ran into a referee who also takes pictures at the amateur matches. Brought a couple of pictures of myself, Steve and Junior that were taken at the match at the Sabre Room a couple of months ago. Junior has a hard expression on his face. I think the picture was taken after his opponent attempted to start a real fight with him after the bout.

Poppped

Junior gets carried away sometimes during sparring matches. Last night, he popped Saddiq in the face. Saddiq's eyes turned glassy and he slumped down to the floor of the ring. All action in the gym stopped to see what happened. Fortunately, he was okay. It was a little scary how quickly it happened.

My right wrist, right shoulder and right knee have been bothering me for days. I can't blame it on the fall I took in the roller rink last week anymore. Probably have been hitting the heavy bags too hard or improperly. My knee is a mystery, however. A sore spot appears there on and off. Have no idea what causes it or why. I've been thinking about having someone look at my knees for some time now. Arithritis keeps crossing my mind.

Weird R Us

Mary told me that some guy had been coming in this week asking to use the gym. She had taken his name and number, and told him she had given the message to Steve. The guy showed up around 6:00 PM on Friday, long before I arrived. Mary had already explained to the guy that Steve was out because his wife just had a baby. It seemed to her that the guy had not listened to nor believed her the first time. He told Mary that he allegedly had been calling for some time to inquire about boxing. He assumed that she would open up the gym for him simply because he wanted to work out, despite his not having paid for the class. I assured Mary that I would keep a lookout for that character, just in case he showed up. Always at least one oddball who shows up with a jones to workout each session.

Guys on hand in the gym: Danny, Big Corey, Saddiq, Junior. Plus, there was a Hispanic guy who had trained in the gym some time ago. I can't think of his name. . .he brought a friend with him to check things out. A quiet night. I was taking things a little easy because I was somewhat not into the workout. It happens. Some days you're feeling it, and other days, it's like going through the motions. Also, I didn't want to wear myself out very much before roller derby tryouts on Sunday.

Finally, Danger Is Here

Received an email from Steve stating that his and Ellen's son had been born this past Sunday. He actually gave the middle name of "Danger" to the child. Actually, that goes along nicely with the boy's first name, which is Eli. If their son becomes famous, he could always be known as Eli Danger. That is cool.

On hand in the gym: Junior, Andrew, Saddiq, Sarah, and a friend of Sarah's who came in to observe. Gilberto brought in two women, one of whom appeared to fascinated by what she saw. "Yeah, I can do this," she said, but she didn't ask enough questions about what was involved. Her friend didn't say much, so I don't know how interested she was. It remains to be seen if either of them will sign up.

I was still a little sore from a roller skating mishap that took place on Monday. I was showing off while skating backwards, slipped, fell, and my head bounced off the floor. I hurt my left shoulder, too, but I was able to work through it. Turned out to be a very good workout after all.