Fighting Despite Limits

I told Steve on Friday about an article I saw on the BBC web site: Joanne Larkin is threatening to go to the European Court of Human Rights to force boxing authorities to let her 15-year-old son box. Her son is diabetic, and he is prohibited from competing. I know how the kid feels. Steve asked my thoughts on diabetics in boxing. I can see how being diabetic would be a problem in professional boxing. However, in amateur boxing, headgear is present, and there are checks and balances to make sure competitors are safe. The mom of the teenager asked, "Why isn't it discrimination? Diabetics are allowed to enter into any other type of sport and competition. . .why not boxing?" Why, indeed.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure back in 2003, but I wasn't stopped from competing. My hypertension has always been controlled with meds, and my doctor would write notes comfirming that. I also have a minor heart problem. One of the valves has a small hole in it. The only thing I have to remember about that is taking antibiotics before any kind of medical procedure is done, like having a dentist work on my teeth, for example. There are many days when I grumble, "I was healthy until I turned 45 years of age," but I thank God that I'm not as bad off as I could be. I know that doctors recommend every other exercise to diabetics except boxing, but I see no reason why I should stop participating in the workouts. As long as I can move, I'm fine.

Combinations

Steve and I worked on the punch mitts last night. He had me doing a combination -- left, right, left, left, right uppercut, left hook, catch a hook, left hook, right, left hook, duck, left hook, right, left hook -- that seemed to impress the guys when I did it correctly. "Is there something you're not telling us?" Mort grinned after observing me. Later, Mort got on the mitts with Steve and practiced the same combination.

Actually, he doesn't call out, "left, right, hook" etc., but the number of the punches ("1,2,3") instead. I'll get caught up thinking about the sequence instead of executing the punches, as Steve often points out. The trick is to just let my hands go.

Among the missing last night was JJ and Muhammad. JJ has a retail job now, and unfortunately, work hours for employees in that industry change day-to-day, week-to-week. Muhammad is so hyped up about learning how to box, but his attendance has been sporadic. I understand that he's looking for a job, so maybe that's why he hasn't been in. I've been thinking about Rias a lot, too. I wonder where he's been hiding.

Tommy just happened to ask, "Did any of you see an iPod?" I remember about the one Barry found last week. I pulled it out and showed it to Tommy, who was extremely relieved. The iPod was his. "I was about to spend $150.00 on a new one!" he said. "You were saved some money!" I replied.

Steve's Back

Steve was back in the gym this past Friday. I didn't get a chance to ask him how Italy was. I'll ask him on Wednesday. Gave him a report about what happened in the gym while he was gone.

Finally figured out to adjust the Cobra bag! Took me long enough. Guess I wasn't turning the knob to lift the bag up and down correctly.

JJ was ticked because a cop gave him a $20 ticket for riding his bike on the sidewalk. Chicago rules of the road for bicycles states that no one over age 12 should ride on the sidewalks. In the neighborhood where the gym is located, the cops don't want anyone riding on the sidewalks, regardless of age. The fieldhouse sits off of a main street that has narrow sidewalks. Usually, they paint signs on the concrete at each corner saying "No bikes on the sidewalk", but they haven't gotten around to it yet. Unfortunately, JJ was caught. He doesn't like to spend money, and he was really outdone by receiving the ticket.

Things Left Behind and A New Face

Just as I was starting to walk out the door to go to the gym, Barry called. Someone left an iPod behind in the gym, and he let me know where he hid it, just in case someone asked for it. I asked the guys when I arrived at the gym, and it didn't belong to any of them. Must have been one of the kids who was careless. Most of the stuff that is left behind are the things the kids forget to take with them when they leave. If I was their mother, I'd go off on them for wasting my money like that. Most likely if they leave something behind that's valuable, they'll never see it again.

A guy came in saying that he knew Graubien. Steve didn't come in the gym last night, and the guy hadn't signed up previously, so I asked him to wait until the coach returned. He hung around for the whole night, watching people. When he got on the double end bag, I had to tell him a) he shouldn't hit the bag without handwraps and b) he should wait until he's actually signed up for the gym. "I'm just trying to get a little bit of a workout in. I really don't know what I'm doing," he told me. He claimed he had come in the gym a long time ago, but I didn't remember him.

Two In The Room

G and I were the only two in the gym for about an hour this past Friday. "The weather's too nice", G said, as an explaination as to why no one else showed up. Around 8:00 PM, Jermaine came in, but it was very quiet in the gym. I closed up a little after 8:30 PM.

It is not unusual that people become MIA when Steve is absent, but that was the lowest attendance I've ever seen during the times he's been out. I'm still thankful that no stray kids, boisterous teens or odd adults came in during the past week. It makes running the gym easier when those distractions aren't in play.

No Incident Wednesday

I was hoping there wouldn't be any kids/teens roaming into the gym, being underfoot, or the occassional odd adult whose agenda about boxing is murky hanging about last night. I was pleased that the night started and ended without anything out-of-pocket happening.

Tried as I might, I couldn't re-adjust the Cobra bag down to my height. I'd been fooling with it since last Friday. I think Muhammad adjusted it so Jermaine can use it -- Jermaine is very tall -- but I can't get it back to any other height. I skipped using it as part of my workout last night.

Normally, I would use the uppercut at the back of the gym, and use the mat back there for crunches and push ups. However, I'd rather not be back there if I'm the one watching the gym, and Steve is out. Have to keep an eye on who is coming in and out. I told G last night that I was going to suggest that he not leave his gym bag near the door. He was told about when Sadiq's backpack was stolen, and when some kids tried to roll away with Steve's bike when he left it propped up by the rail just outside the door. I often offer my locker as a place where others can place their belongings.

We did intervals on the heavy bags again -- rather, everyone else did and I just called out the rounds. Did four rounds this time. Maybe on Friday, I'll suggest that all do five rounds.

Friday Intervals

This past Friday in the gym was mostly uneventful. Only Rachel, Danny, Jermaine, G, Sadiq and Muhammad were there. It was a nice night, weather-wise, so I wasn't surprised at the low turnout. I braced myself for lookey-loos rolling into the gym, but that didn't happen.

I was the first one in, so I put the radio on the oldies station. Later, after G and Muhammad came in, I went to put fresh water in the water bottles. When I came back, both guys said, "We've got to talk to you about your choice of music!" We all laughed about that. I'm not crazy about a majority of the hip-hop/rap/contemporary R&B that most of the others like to hear. Most of it is crap to me, but I don't care if the station is changed to that music. The only time I was irked when the music was changed was when John used to come to the gym. This was back when I used to bring in a lot of my old school tapes and CDs. He decided he didn't want to hear The Eagles' song, "Life In The Fast Lane", and took the tape off, without asking me if it was okay to do so. "The Eagles were lame when I was back in high school," he declared. I decided not to make a big deal of it, but it was irritating just the same.

We did intervals near the end of the evening for three rounds. I called the rounds, but did not participate. The soreness I experienced from when Steve worked us on Wednesday was hitting hard. I took Tylenol before I left the house, but that didn't do much of jack.

A Workout and A Half

We did drills for everyone last night -- a lot of pad work, exercises with the medicine ball, and interval training on the heavy bags. I was dripping sweat afterwards. It was an extremely good workout. Too bad we can't do group training every time. Since boxing is not a team sport, trainers have to work with individuals on specific techniques in order to make fighters better.

Steve will be out of the country for a couple of weeks, so the usual rule of no sparring while he's gone applies. I asked him about Nate Sr., who has been dropping in recently most Fridays to get some work in with JJ. "Uh, oh. I'm glad you said something, because I forgot about that," Steve said. He told me he would call Nate to tell him he'd prefer that he'd not spar with JJ or anyone else until he returns. Nate Sr. and JJ never go completely all out when they spar, but it's best not to take the chance on something going wrong.

The coach also asked that I not allow anyone to sign up for the class while he's out. Whenever Steve is gone, someone always comes in, wanting to join the gym. Most times, it's someone who is all hyped up about the idea of boxing, but not about the actual work that goes into it. They usually don't come back again after asking for information.

Lan came in, and brought in a cobra reflex bag. One of the anchor bags needs to be filled with sand or rocks to steady it more, but it's all good. I like working on the cobra bag whenever I go to JABB Gym, so I thought it was cool that she donated it.

Barry and Montrell stopped by. Barry had tried to get Montrell a fight somewhere downtown, but it didn't work out. Indeed, when Steve returns from vacation, there'll be a lot more boxing shows going on for our fighters to participate in.

Old Home Week Again

JJ pointed out that the boxers greet each other as if we hadn't seen each other for years, even though we saw each other a couple of days before. I don't know why that is, but I guess it's just the comaraderie everyone has. Sadiq stopped in on Friday, and he was treated like a superstar. He's still working nights, and trying to save money, but he's planning to return to the gym.

Craig had headgear with had a face guard on it. I've seen those advertised in Ringside and Title's catalogs, and wondered how good they were. Craig said the guard didn't restrict his vision at all while he was doing some sparring drills with Steve. "The bars sort of gray out, and you don't notice them," he explained. Such headgear may be worth investing in down the line.

Steve is going out of town after this upcoming Wednesday. I told him that I would open the gym, but that he should check with Mary. The last time Steve was out for several days, Mary decided against the gym being open. Too many folks were roaming in and getting free workouts was the reason. Mary did say it was okay for the gym to be open, but if she hadn't it wouldn't have bothered me. The main problem I have whenever Steve is gone is stray kids and teens thinking the gym is either a playground or hangout spot or both.

I must be getting soft, because I don't snap as much at the tresspassing little kids like I used to do. I've found that the best tactic is to show them around and talk to them a little about boxing. That does cut down on some of the more offensive behavior. Because of their short attention spans, the little kids will eventually find something else to do other than hang in the gym, anyway. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work with the teens who want to give people word-for-word when given orders. With the teens at the fieldhouse, I always have to act hard to get them to back off and back out.

I was laughing with JJ, Jermaine and Danny about something -- I think JJ was imitating the other boxers again -- when a loud scream was heard in the hallway. Several of us ran out to see what happened. There is a stairway outside of the gym that leads to the second floor. A couple of guys appeared in that doorway, looking a bit annoyed, and Mary questioned them. They said some kids were running up and down the hall, disturbing their meeting. I overheard Mary telling Steve that the back emergency door at the bottom of that stairwell needs to be locked at all times. "I try to keep an eye on it," Steve told her. During warm weather, too many of the kids attempt to use that door as an exit or entry point. I wish there was an alarm on it.

Nate Sr. was there, and he loves to get sparring in with JJ. I thought JJ was a little rough on Nate, however. He caught the older man in a corner at one point, and let loose a flurry of punches. I had just taken a refresher CPR/first aid course at work the day before. I thought, "JJ, please don't hurt Nate so badly that I have to use what I learned." Nate always has praise for JJ afterwards. "He really got me good there," Nate commented.

Makin' Fun

JJ has a talent for imitating how others train in the gym. I'm almost afraid to ask him what I look like in the gym! He's too funny, especially when he imitates Jermaine, which he did in front of him last night. JJ makes it look like that Jermaine is so fast with his punches that no one can see them. He also does a good imitation of Keith throwing punches. Jermaine had the best impression of Keith, however -- he just sat down in a chair and rested. We all fell out laughing at that one.

Both Erin and Rachel came in; they hadn't been there for awhile. I was really glad to see Erin. I thought she might have given up after she lost her first fight at the Sabre Room last month. Rachel explained that she would have been in last week, but she had a lot of trouble with her car. It had even been towed at one point, and it's not cheap to recover a car when that happens.
Steve worked with Muhammad on the pads. I didn't hear what Muhammad said before they began, but Steve laid down the law. "You've got to put in the workout, and I can get you fights. But I don't want to go through what I went through with Keith," he told him. It appears that Keith has quit boxing, according to a conversation he had with Steve a couple of weeks ago.

Javonta was there last night as well, and I watched him as he worked on one of the heavy bags. He looked good, calculating his punches, slipping, bobbing and weaving. I hope there are some good matches coming up for him this summer.

I had to watch it while I practiced bobbing and weaving, as well as when I was doing squats. My knees were talking to me, and they weren't giving me good news. Sometimes I notice my arthritis in the gym, and sometimes it doesn't bother me. I managed to make it through the squats, but one round of bobbing and weaving was enough.

Boxing and Motherhood

I was thinking that if I had kids, it might be difficult for me to do a boxing workout. It would difficult for me to do a lot of things. My mother always grumbled to my siblings and I that children were in her way. According to her, we prevented her from having the glorious life she felt she was entitled to have.

Several years ago, she wondered aloud why I would take up boxing. Now I realize that was just another way of her expressing her jealousy of both my younger sister and I. It all fits -- the comments about why we didn't travel more often, why we didn't we own property, why we didn't have cars (although at various times while she was still speaking to both of us, my sister and I did own vehicles), etc. Add that to the fact that I have no children and Cindy gave her two girls up for adoption, and you have why the green in Ma's eyes glowed like the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz.

Her concern about me boxing probably also figured into why she also didn't want to see me after she had a last falling out with a terminally ill Cindy in late 2001. Dad joked about, "You might be able to knock my teeth out," after he learned I boxed. Ma might have thought I might have been angry enough to knock hers out after she turned her back on Cindy and I for the second time in our lives. She didn't want to take the chance that I might have, so I was banned from coming to her apartment.

I guess I was hoping for too much. . .boxing is a positive thing, and I thought maybe Ma would have been proud of me participating in it. But then she never appreciated anything that I, Cindy, or my brother Ken that was remotely positive. It was always easier for her to focus on the negatives, whether real or imagined.

Chico's Death and Medical IDs

Earlier in the day, I had peered at a newspaper over the shoulder of a guy while riding on the train. He was reading the sports section which had an article with a heading that gave the impression that Diego "Chico" Corrales had retired from boxing. I couldn't see the content of the article. When I arrived at the gym, JJ told me that Corrales had died in a motorcycle accident.

Corrales' fight with Jose Luis Castelijo was the bout of the year in 2005. It was brutal, bloody, and exciting as hell. Corrales looked like he was down for the count in the last round, but came up off the canvas and beat Castelijo down as if the man had insulted his mama. I liked Chico. He always came to the ring ready. He was a little cocky, not annoying cocky like Floyd Mayweather or Antonio "The Magic Man" Tarver can be, however. He didn't make it to 30 years of age. It's a shame.

Mort ran the conditioning session at the end of the night, consisting of push ups and crunches. A little easier for the younger guys to do, but not for me. I did them anyway, because I need to do them. My knees were bothering me, which was a bit annoying since they hadn't done so in several days. I couldn't do squats easily nor practice bobbing and weaving for long.

I showed Steve my medical ID bracelet, and he pointed out something I should have caught. My phone number is on the bracelet instead of my doctor's or another emergency phone number. "It won't do me any good, in case you collapse, to call your house and get your voice mail. 'Pick up your phone! You've collapsed! When you get this message, go to the hospital!' " he said. Both of us had a good laugh off of that one, but it pointed out the seriousness of the situation. I'll have to buy either a new bracelet or necklace with the right info.

The Laughing Boxer

Floyd Mayweather was having a lot of fun at Oscar DeLa Hoya's expense during their fight this past Saturday. I think DeLa Hoya let his temper get the best of him sometimes, judging by how some of his punches looked. Like Tracy Sr. was telling his son Tracy Jr. when they were at the gym a few weeks ago, "Ain't nothin' on those punches but your arm." Then Mayweather announces that he is retiring. JJ commented, "That's what they all say. He'll be back." He's probably right. Very few boxers stay permanently retired, except for Rocky Marchiano. The rest show up a few months or even weeks later for one to several more go arounds. The sad things is, some of them get forced out of the game after the last hurrah.

Steve showed me a new exercise on Friday night. It involved holding the medicine ball between one's forearms, then taking long side steps, above 5 to 10 in each direction, with knees bent, and up on the toes. Hard, but a good exercise. I did something similar while in physical therapy back in January. Instead of the medicine ball, I had a heavy band around my ankles.

I Didn't Think Of That

Both Mort and JJ announced that they found jobs -- Mort will be at a downtown currency exchange, and JJ has a job at Home Depot. The goal is for the both of them to move out of their parents' homes and get their own places. I was glad to hear about their new employment.

Steve asked me if there is anything he should know in case I get sick in the gym. It should have occurred to me to give him some guidelines when I first got the news that I have diabetes. Earlier yesterday, I brought some glucose tablets from Walgreens. They are for whenever my blood sugar drops low. I highly doubt that'll happen. Never heard of my dad or my two grandmothers having that problem. However, it does pay to be safe rather than sorry. I'll remember to carry them with me whenever I go to the gym.

I also told Steve that there was a possibility if I got cut open during a sparring match, it might take a long time for me to heal. I've always had a problem with slow healing cuts and wounds, long before diabetes hit me. I don't spar very often, so that shouldn't be a great problem.

Everybody seems to be hyped about the Mayweather-De LaHoya match this Saturday. Intially, Mike was going to order the fight and have people at his house, but he changed his mind. Mike is going to watch the fight with friends at a bar instead. "Eh, I don't want to go to a bar, because then you can't pay attention to the fight because of people around you yelling and asking stupid questions, " Steve said. If Barry or Gary don't get the pay-per-view, then Steve will get it. I'm looking forward to it. The Golden Boy and Pretty Boy Floyd have been talking much $100 trash for weeks. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in the ring.

A Different Perspective On It

I ended the work day upset this past Friday, thinking about how diabetes has cost me hope of ever having an amateur match. Initially, I didn't want to go to the gym that night, and I waivered back and forthwards with that thought. Finally, I pulled myself together and went at the last minute, because, after all, I need the workout. It was tough going for the first half-hour or so. My heart was not in it.

Near the end of the evening, Muhammad did a sparring drill with Steve. It wasn't long before Muhammad began to complain about being tired. Steve directed him to continue, but Muhammad kept leaning on the ropes, reclining in the corners, and not keeping his hands up. Muhammad told Steve at one point that he felt like he was going to die. I leaned over the ropes and said, "Look, Muhammad, I'm 45 years old with diabetes. If I can do this, so can you. You're a young man!" I spent the rest of the drill encouraging him to keep going, and others, like Tommy, joined in to keep him going, too.

As Steve drove me home later, I asked if he had any amateur fights. I knew he had mentioned it before, but I couldn't remember. He never had any, but he had a lot of street fights, and had trained a lot in different boxing gyms. "Some people say you can't be a coach if never had any fights, but that depends on the person," he said. Our talk made me feel better about continuing in boxing, albeit behind the scenes. Next month, I'll buy a book on coaching and study it in preparation for getting a coach's license.

Damn!

I almost backed out of going to the Sabre Room for JJ, Mort and Erin's fights last night. Earlier yesterday morning, a doctor I went to see for a second opinion confirmed the worst: I actually have diabetes. The A1c blood test made it very clear. According to USA Amateur Boxing rules, I can no longer be approved to box in competitons.

It was very hard watching Erin during her fight, knowing that I will never get a chance to do the same thing. I spar from time to time in the gym, but that's not the same thing. The upside is that I can apply to be licensed as an amateur boxing coach, and no medical restrictions play into that. I'm not going to choir rehearsal tonight, as I have reservations to see a cabaret show. It's just as well. . .I'm not in the mood for Glynn gloating over me not being able to compete. He always said he was praying to me to stop boxing. I guess he got his wish to an extent.

Mort appears to be experiencing the same thing JJ did when he won the Golden Gloves last year -- not getting fights because guys are afraid to fight him. His opponent actually showed up last night, but turned around and said he was too sick to fight. JJ won against his opponent, but he was throwing a lot of wild punches, and dropping his hands a lot.

Erin's uncle John, a former professional boxer, helped Steve out in the corner during her fight. Her opponent was a 17-year-old girl who regularly spars with the guys at the boxing club she attends in Harvey, IL. Erin didn't get hurt badly, but the other boxer just kept putting pressure on her. She also lost one of her contacts. Erin had an 8-count called on her three times. Steve was stepping into the ring to stop the fight after the third time, but the referee stopped it first.

Earlier, Steve pointed out that I made a mistake thinking Erin was the first woman out of Loyola Park to get a fight. I forgot about Lan, who had a fight at Hamlin; Sara, Mike's ex-wife, who had a match at Brooks; and teens Essence and Crystal, who had fights. "Trying to make Loyola Park look like it's against women fighting?" Steve laughed.

Friday Night Quiet

I arrived at the gym around 6:20 PM, and Mary let me in. For about 45 minutes I was alone, so I didn't turn the bell on so the ringing wouldn't attract people in. I knew with the weather being a little warmer and Steve being out of the gym that night, somebody would roam in just to look. One teenaged boy peeked in, did a double take when he saw me, and left.

Tim came in eventually, followed by Tommy, Graubien, and Muhammad. Tommy explained he had been very sick for three weeks, which was why he was gone for awhile. He was surprised to find the gym so empty.

Sometime later, five little boys came in. As usual, I had to tell them to get off the bags. One of the kids I recognized as having come in before, so he knew he wasn't supposed to fool around. Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with them long. Jose followed them in and put them all out of the fieldhouse. "They were messing with Robert, then they were playing around in the woodshop, and then I saw them come in here," Jose said.

I was nodding off near 11:00 PM, when my phone rang. I got up to get it, and it was JJ telling me that he won his fight at the Hollywood Casino in Aurora, but Keith lost his because he gassed out early. He and Steve were in the car, still a half-hour out from Chicago. JJ told me the gym would be open this Sunday. I'll go, but I'll have to cut the workout short. I've got reservations to a cabaret show later that afternoon.

Okay, That Was Hard

Erin sparred with Mike first last night. She has a fight lined up at the Sabre Room next week. I believe she may be the first female out of Loyola Park Boxing Gym -- at least since I've been there -- to get a fight. Mike, as usual, was being helpful by giving out pointers. The others in the gym, with the exception of Kate, Sarah and Tim, were not paying attention to the sparring. That is, until they noticed Steve cleaning blood up from the canvas.

Erin bloodied Mike's nose, and he stood in the middle of the ring for several moments with a tissue up to his face. I got the bleach for Steve, and he used an old shirt to clean up. Mort was the first to notice. "What the hell happened?" he said. They all looked at Erin with new respect after that.

I also sparred with Erin, and dealt with the possibility that I might get bloodied up, too. I got rocked instead. The first time her left hook connected, I thought to myself, "I almost got knocked the hell out. Okay." Then I was caught with a jab, as I moved in and put pressure on. Like everyone else, she's taller than I, so I kept focusing on her mid-section as opposed to trying for her head most of the time. The third time, she smashed me in the head with a left hook, and I tried to play off the fact that I became unsteady on my feet.

Steve gave me a suspicious look and asked, "Are you okay?" "Nothing's wrong with me. I'm fine," I lied. "You sure?" he asked. I kept reassuring him I was, and the sparring continued. Later when he drove me home, he told me he was not only concerned that I might get hurt, but that Erin might feel nervous about getting into the ring again if I did. She knocked out Crystal several months ago. If I had been laid out in the ring behind Mike having his nose jacked up, it might have been very hard for Erin to feel comfortable about stepping back into a ring. She kept apologizing for hitting Mike right before she caught him in the nose.

Erin has a good right, and I now I know, her left isn't bad, either. She just has to not hesitate when throwing punches, and she could be big trouble for an opponent.

Raphael came in and picked up his camrecorder from me. Hopefully, he'll come back soon with a copy of Mort's fight from this past Saturday.

Keith showed up, as he has a match at the Hollywood Casino in Aurora on Friday. I opted not to go to that one, and open the gym instead. Otherwise, the gym would be closed both Friday and then on Wednesday for the Sabre Room matches. I'm kind of hesitant about asking Les if I can leave early next Wednesday, considering I've taken off time during the day three times this month for doctor's visits already. I have the option of making up the time by coming in early or staying late, but I don't want to give the impression I'm always taking off for this and that.

A new guy, Q, came in, all hyped up about wanting to learn how to box. "Man, all I need are the fundamentals, and I can make some money, for real," he told the guys. "You ain't gonna make money in here," Mort pointed out, and that got a laugh. "If you jump into professional boxing, having never had any amateur experience, you're gonna get knocked around. Here, in the amateurs, is where you not only learn how to box, but you learn to love the sport," Steve told Q.

Final Night At The Gloves

Steve caught up with Keith late in the afternoon on Friday to apologize for having the dates wrong for Keith's championship match. Dave of Evanston Boxing Club had broken the bad news to Keith earlier that morning. "I dropped everything and ran out to find Steve," Keith told me at the Gloves last night. He found JJ and got Steve's phone number. JJ called Steve right after Keith left and told him, "He knows." Keith was still salty about the whole thing on Saturday night, and I can't blame him. If I was in that situation, I wouldn't be happy, either. Unfortunately, things happen. What are you gonna do?

Raphael, who none of us had seen in about a couple of years, showed up out of the blue last night. He left his camrecorder with me because he wanted to see Mort's fight, but couldn't stay. Mort and Tony's fights didn't take place until late in the evening. We all thought he had gone to Las Vegas, but Raphael had stayed in the city to finish a massage therapy course. He'll come by the gym later this week to pick up the camrecorder.

Bovino, who trains at the same mixed martial gym that Tony does, won the trophy in the super heavyweight division. Tony also won a trophy against a guy who trains at a rival mixed martial arts facility. The coach of that gym tried to pour cold water on Tony's win by telling him he didn't think Tony really won the fight.

Mort was popped in the jaw hard by his opponent during his match. On Thursday, Simon had also hit Mort in the same place, and he had complained about the pain. Mort responded to the hits by coming back strong on the other fighter. Mort looked very good during the match, while his opponent looked unsure, as Simon did on Thursday. I was taping the match, when in the last moments, the battery gave out. I knew I should have brought the company camrecorder with me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something might happen to it, so I left it at work Friday night.

I reverted to my old 35mm camera to catch the decision of the fight -- Mort's hand was raised in victory. He was so happy, running around the ring with his trophy for the 178 pound championship. Then he ran upstairs and gave me a hug. I took a picture of him with his trophy and a copy of the Golden Gloves program.

Whoops, The Belt Went Elsewhere

A guy in the super heavyweight category got a walkover last night. He grinned as the green and gold belt was placed around his waist. The female announcer made an unflattering crack about his opponent not showing up. The guy's opponent was supposed to have been Keith.

Steve thought that Keith's match was tomorrow. He swore that's what the Golden Gloves organizers told him. A schedule of matches that they had given him a couple of weeks before revealed that Keith's match scheduled for last night. A big mistake. Dave, the coach at Evanston Boxing Club, claimed that Keith's name had been called several times to come and weigh in. I beat Steve, Mort, JJ and Mike there. I didn't hear any announcements, and the guys came in about 15 minutes behind me. The matches didn't begin until near 8:00 PM, so we all would have heard if Keith's name had been called. Steve wondered later why Dave, or any of the other coaches near who know he's with Loyola Park, didn't mention anything to him about Keith being called. "I could have sent someone to look for him. . .I could have done something," Steve said.

The guy who won by default is out of Windy City Gym. Steve spoke with the guy's coach to see if he would be willing to fight Keith anyway, and earn the belt as opposed to taking a walkover win. Chances of that happening look extremely dim. Keith's phone was down, so Steve couldn't contact him to tell him the bad news. I'm hoping he can catch Keith before our gym opens up tonight. Two years ago at the Gloves, Keith was denied competing because he missed the weigh-in time. He didn't compete in the 2006 tournament, and had said he really didn't want to miss out this time around. I already know Keith is not going to take this well.

In better news, Mort won over Simon in his match. Mort was a slip and duck artist, confounding Simon, who would come back with punches only to find Mort already gone. I put in some money to help pay for a DVD of his match. Mort will pay the other part on Saturday. Les told me I could use the company camrecorder to tape the finals matches. The disks in that camera are smaller than the standard DVD. I'll call the store where the camera was purchased from to find out if they'll be able to transfer images to a standard DVD. That'll save Mort some money if he wins on Saturday and wants a copy of his performance.

I met another celebrity at the Gloves last night. Shonie Carter is a five time champion in mixed martial arts. He was one of the fighters featured on the last edition of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter" where several MMA fighters room together and compete against each other for a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Carter is originally from Chicago. We talked for several minutes like we had known each other for a long time. He told me he likes to hang out at amateur fighting events. "Some of the fighters at the top wouldn't bother. But I tell them to remember when they were starting out and wanting people to come out and support them," he told me. I asked Carter if he had another match coming up soon, and he told me he was waiting for his broken hand to heal. Shonie Carter is a real person, just a regular cool guy.

The Weight and The Fatigue

If I hear one more man complaining about how hard it is to lose weight. . ..this past Friday, Keith was groaning about having to lose two pounds -- two pounds! -- to make weight for the Golden Gloves this upcoming Saturday. "Men lose weight easier than women do. You can do that," I told him. Here I am carrying an extra layer of fat for childbearing purposes, like most women do, and Keith's complaining about going without his favorite foods for a few days. I resent having the extra layer of fat. I'm not ever planning to be pregnant.

Just as bad is when the guys at the gym complain about being tired. I had energy galore when I was in my twenties, and I wasn't hardly working out as nearly as much as I do now. Maybe my generation was built differently, I don't know.

Finals At Curie

Last night, I got to Curie High School about five minutes before any of the fights started at the Tony Zale City-Wide Boxing Tournament. Things seemed to go quicker than they had on Tuesday.

Patrick, a boy I had seen around the fieldhouse before, but not in the gym, had one of the early fights. He lost, and the kids around him were telling him what he should have done afterwards. Didn't sound like they had much tact, either. I thought, "The boy probably feels down, so why are they making it worse?"

Toby (Kevin) was straight out robbed of a decision during his fight. He clearly dominated the kid he was in the ring with. Toby was very light on his feet, and he danced around his opponent after getting off some clear shots. Steve and I were confused, as we had no idea how the judges came to their conclusion.

Diego easily won over his opponent. I like how his dad, mom and his sisters totally support him in boxing. His dad was in his corner during the match.

Mike had a hard time with his opponent, a guy who was just a little more tougher than he was. Mike rushed the guy several times in reaction to being hit, but to no avail, as he lost the fight. "That guy was throwing some hard shots, and he caught me a few times. If he had hit me a few more times like that, I might have been out," Mike said afterwards. His friend, Bill, was at the tournament, and I told him that Mike had mentioned he was having a birthday party. "Yeah, Mike's gonna be thirty, can you believe it?" Bill said. Mike looks a lot younger than that; he has a baby face.

Montrell's fight was the last of the evening, right behind Mike's. He fought a kid named Ed, who was pretty good. "Ed is good," Nate Sr. told me earlier that night, "but I believe Montrell can handle him." Ed had a lot of supporters who crowded around the ring during the fight. The two boys were punching fast and hard, especially during the second half of the 2nd round and most of the third round. Montrell's hand was raised in victory, and Ed's supporters were not happy as they booed the decision.

Standing For The Winners

Took two trains to get out to the City-Wide Boxing Tournament last night. Surprisingly, there were no major problems traveling there, considering the public transportation system has started another renovation project. It looked as if the fights had just started when I walked inside Curie High School, where the matches took place.

Five of the boys -- David, Diego, Kevin, Montrell and Nate Jr. -- competed. David was the only one who lost. Mary commented that it might have been David's first time in the ring. Montrell was up against a kid who didn't appear to be intimidated by him. Montrell's brother, Michael, yelled out instructions from ringside as he taped the match with a video camera. Montrell won his match. It also looked as if all the boys had received new haircuts before their fights.

Mike caught his opponent in the corners and against the ropes several times. Steve was encouraging Mike to take his time and not just throw a barrage of punches. Mike won, so he, like the four boys, go on to the finals on Thursday. I stood up the whole time, not wanting to sit in the hard bleachers to view the fights.

Two guys who had been MIA at the Gloves were there -- Barry and Catchings, the boxing photographer. I was glad to see them both.

Steve drove me home, which is always nice of him and very appreciated by me. That's the main reason I opted to take the train down to the tournament rather than hitch a ride with him. He's always driving the boxers around, which is wear and tear on his car, as well as gas money spent. I figure if I can get to most matches on my own, I'll do that and get a ride back. Les, my boss, is usually good about allowing me to come into work early so I can leave early to get to matches. However, I don't want to abuse the privilege, so I don't ask him all the time.

On the way home, I told Steve I wouldn't be in the gym tonight. He joked, "Where are your priorities?" There's always a Wednesday choir rehearsal the day before Maundy Thursday, which is observed by my church. I'm doing a reading in the middle of the songs the choir is singing on Easter. Margaret told me it was crucial that I have to be there tonight. I did tell her that if Mike won on Tuesday, that I wouldn't be at Maundy Thursday service, however. I always regret missing last year's finals when Sadiq won, because I went to church instead. I don't want to miss if Mike or the boys win this time around.

Steve told me that the City-Wide Tournament, which is named for boxer Tony Zale, used to be a bigger event than it is now. It only runs two days, when it used to run three. Adult boxers aren't encouraged to sign up for it as in the past. The tournament has turned into a youth-orientated event. It also began after the Chicago Golden Gloves, not during the break between the Gloves' semi-finals and finals. Many guys who competed in the Gloves would turn around and compete in the Zale City-Wide, but that doesn't happen much anymore.

Bumps and Knockouts

Mort was all suited up, ready to go, when he was summoned to the weigh-in area during the Golden Gloves this past Saturday night. I could see from where I was sitting in the balcony bleachers that he didn't get good news. He was talking to Steve with an irritated look on his face. It appeared that the tournament organizers and Russell, a boxer from the Harvey gym both didn't have their schedules in order. The Harvey boxer should have had a match during the preliminaries, but he didn't, so Mort was bumped in favor of accommodating him. "I hope his ass gets knocked out," Mort spat. A few fights later, Mort got his wish. Simon, a boxer from Team Z, knocked Russell out hard. Laid the boy out flat. Russell had to be picked up off the canvas.

The best fight of Saturday night was between Adrian, of Team Chicago and Rolando, of Defining. It was non-stop punching action for three rounds. That match received a standing ovation with Adrian taking the win.

There are so many boxing clubs involved in the Gloves this year that I have never heard of before. Also, Windy City Boxing seems to be less of a presence this year, I guess because they don't have a regular training space (they lost their 90+ year old gym a few months ago). JABB Gym is still sort of the new kid on the block, so they don't have as many participants, either. Evanston Boxing Club has a lot of fighters this year, and surprisingly, they appear to be better than they have in the past.

On the way home from the Gloves, Steve got a call from Mort on his cell. Mort forgot to get the DVD of his last match out of Steve's car. Steve pulled over near Foster Avenue, where the both of us waited for Mort, J.J., and Keith to come by in Keith's car. About 15 minutes went by, and it was after 11:00 PM. "Where are those guys? I want to go home and eat. I'm tired!" Steve said. Finally, the guys pull up, and Mort's in the passenger seat. He rolls down his window and says in a Brtish accent, "Do you have any Grey Poupon? In case you don't know, I'm referring to mustard!" Steve was going to get on them for showing up late, but the both of us had to laugh.

Looking To Saturday

I wasn't in the gym on Wednesday because I was in a recording studio. I needed a copy of the music for the song "Black Coffee" on CD so I can perform it at a neighborhood coffee house/Internet cafe. The session itself took less than an hour, but I had to go near downtown to get it done. By the time I got back home, the gym was about fifteen minutes from being closed for the night.

Mort, Javonta and Keith are fighting tomorrow night in the semi-finals at the Golden Gloves. Javonta is the wild card. He looks capable in the gym, but sometimes that does not translate to being in an actual fight. I'm worried about Keith because he doesn't workout. Mort seems to have the best chance, already having experienced two wins at the Gloves.

It ought to be a busy and long night. Have no idea how the guys' matches will be spread out until we get to St. Andrew's. They could fight right behind each other in a row, or in some other configuration.

Junior's Loss and Antonio's Surprise

J.J. met Orpheus, a guy he spars with at the Evanston Boxing Club, in the ring this past Saturday night, and all did not go well. He was fine when he kept Orpheus in the middle of the ring. When Orpheus caught him up against the ropes and in the corners, that's where J.J. got into trouble. I felt bad for him afterwards. I never know quite what to say when one of the guys lose, and I don't want to say something that's going to pour more salt on the wound.

Later in the evening, Antonio (Tony), the MMA fighter who comes into the gym sometimes, had a match. His coach didn't bring any of his gear, so J.J. let him borrow some of his. I was worried because I've seen how Tony fared in sparring sessions against J.J. and Sadiq. However, Tony beat down his opponent in a stunning upset.

Only three guys are left in the Golden Gloves: Keith, Mort and Javonta.

Yesterday, Muhammad, J.J., myself, Nate Sr., and Keith were in the gym. A father and son duo, Tracy Sr. and Tracy Jr. came in; Tracy Jr. sparred with J.J., and that kid was fast and good. I couldn't believe he was only 14 years old. He carried himself like a guy much older. Muhammad and I commented to each other how tough Tracy Sr. appeared to be as a coach. The older man explained that he was trying to help his son get a scholarship to U of Michigan. The son plans to become a chemical engineer in the future.

There was also talk of attending different tournaments. I was thinking about going to the Ringside Tournament in late July, but Steve won't be able to go. I haven't filled out the application yet, but I may be able to go with another coach. It's a matter of finding out who definately will go, and if I can scare up the travel funds.

Meeting The Big Man

Mort had a second preliminary fight last night. I taped it with the use of Mike's digital camera. Mort got a TKO, so he is solidly in the semi-finals. He seemed to be very light on his feet the entire time. Mort had a lot of support from the audience, as well. Several guys sitting near me were boisterously cheering him on.

Immediately after Mort's win, I introduced myself to Ernie Terrell, who was sitting at the judges' tables. Terrell had a famous 12 round match against Muhammad Ali in 1967, and his sister, Jean, sang with The Supremes in the years immediately following Diana Ross' depature. He is a big man; his hand completely enveloped mine. I learned later that he is six foot six tall. I had seen him in attendance at many fights, but never had a chance to say hello until last night.

Unfortunately, Mike lost his fight; it was a close decision. Both Mike and his opponent were gassed out in the 2nd round, but continued battling in the 3rd round. Mike got off the cleaner and more decisive shots, but the judges did not go his way. Some members of the audience booed the judges' decision. "That was bullshit!" Mort snapped.

I overheard the guys running the glove table asking each other if they had seen Kitchens, the ring photographer. I was looking for him myself; he took a picture of me with a politician friend of my late dad's some time ago, and I wanted to buy it from him. The guys said they hadn't seen him. It was unusual because he's always at the Gloves.

I was feeling out of sorts on the way home. Two days of eating the junk food being sold at the Gloves had taken it's toll. "I'm stopping at the health food store tomorrow and buying good snacks to bring down to the tournament," I told Steve.

First Up, Mort

Mort was choosen to fight in the first match on the first night of the Golden Gloves in the 178 pound Novice category. While Mort watched his opponent carefully for openings, his opponent was often unsure and came in swinging wildly. I knew in the middle of the second round that Mort was going to win that preliminary match, and he did.

Mike was supposed to fight that evening, but his fight was put off until tonight. That didn't go over well with Margaret, the choir director at church. I called her this morning and she said, "Don't say you're not going to be at choir rehearsal tonight!" We go through this every year; it's like a running joke. "Be careful", she told me before we ended the call. She's always concerned about me talking about trying to get fights.

Felt a little depressed when a professional female fighter, Rita Figueroa, was introduced in-between one of the matches as one of the many special guests who were in the audience last night. The announcer made a mistake and said she was a two-time Golden Gloves champion. She corrected him and told him she had actually won the championship four times. Four times? "I can't even get in the tournament one time," I grumbled to myself.

Many of the fights last night ended quickly in the first round, due to fighters becoming too overwhelmed to offer much of a defense. There were a lot of guys having eight counts called on them.

We (Steve, Ben, Erin, JJ, Mike, Mort) had our stuff near some guys who were making a lot of funny comments on the fights. One boxer had the misfortune of being named Eric Estrada. "Eric Estrada? Where's his motorcycle? Hey, Ponch!" said the guys, making references to the old TV show "Chips". Steve and I were cracking up. Steve told the guys, "You know he's probably heard those jokes all of his life."

Another guy named Mike, who used to train in the gym, came by and wished everyone well. "Do you remember me?" he said, when I saw him. He was a nice guy -- I used to help him out a lot when he used to come in. He's a student at Loyola University, and studies kept him out of training for awhile.

This year's tournament marked the first time I had to watch what I ate there in light of my recent health problems. That was a pain. There's not much there that's healthy to eat, and I didn't have time to stop to get something before I got to St. Andrews. I broke down and had two hot dogs, but bypassed the cake and pop. I had half a mind to get some nachos, but fortunately, we all left before I could make another trip to the concession stand. Deciding that I had done enough damage to my eating habits that evening, I did not eat again when I got home.

Title Boxing was there, and I picked up a T-shirt with a silhouette of a boxer on it. I had been eyeing that in their catalog for some time. Maybe I'll pick up an instructional DVD tonight, depending on how much money I have on hand. I was wondering if Ringside had ever had a table at the Golden Gloves, but in the past four years I've been going there, I don't think they have.

Sunday Before The Gloves

I was in the gym both Friday and today. Keith sort of ticked Steve off on Friday. They were working on the mitts, when Keith decided he didn't want to do another round. He kept coughing and saying he was ill. "Come on man, you need it," Steve told him, but Keith left the ring and walked out of the gym for a few minutes. It is somewhat in Keith's favor that he does not have to fight during the Golden Gloves preliminary matches. He and Javonta got walk overs, so they don't have to fight until the semi-finals next week.

I heard that Samantha got walked over for the preliminaries, the semi-finals and the finals. I wish that could happen to me! She's automatically in for the National Golden Gloves.

Mort and Mike fight on Wednesday, and JJ fights on Friday, so the gym will be closed this week. All three of them were in the gym earlier this afternoon. Steve's main purpose for opening the gym today was not the workout. He wanted the guys to get some time in, but to go light. Steve wanted to double check that everyone had the equipment they needed for later this week.

Willie, a guy who used to come to my church on a regular basis, was also in the gym. I had mentioned after services was over this morning, that I was going to the gym. He got his gear and showed up for a workout. He was glad for it. He said he helped him clear his mind. I held mitts for him near the end of the session. Willie hits very hard, so I had to quickly adjust how I was holding the mitts.

Steve had little Eli with him, and the boy was sound asleep when he first came in. When he woke up, Eli observed everyone as they worked out.

Where For Art Thou, Oh Fighters?

Both Keith and Mort were nowhere to be found in the gym last night. Last night marked exactly a week before the start of the Chicago Golden Gloves. "I'm afraid Keith's not going to come in on Friday iether, and he's not going to know what's going on," I told Steve. Two years ago, Keith rolled up on the first day of the Gloves over an half-hour late to be weighed in. The officials wouldn't let him box, and he raised all kinds of sand. As much as he said he didn't want to miss out again (he couldn't do it last year due to his work schedule), I'd hate for him to lose the opportunity. However, if he doesn't show up, what can be done?

I didn't even notice Mort wasn't in the gym until the end of the night. He had been in the Gloves two years ago as well. He lost a close fight during the preliminaries. I was working his corner alongside Steve that night, and Mort was mighty hot that he had lost. He accused his opponent of playing games and being underhanded. His opponent was a bit scared of him during the rounds, judging by the way he was skipping away from Mort most of the time.

Rias would have been a good candidate for the Gloves, I believe, but he didn't sign up. Jermaine probably would have too, but he didn't register, either. Besides, Jermaine is trying to get a rap music career off of the ground. Sadiq might have won it all if he had signed up, but I sense he's had a little loss of confidence since losing his last show fight.

Erin did sparring drills with Mike last night. Once she worked her jab more, and then hooked off it, she did well. I overheard a few of the guys saying, "Man, she's good! Remember when she knocked out that girl a while ago?" My niece's mom asked me last night what happened to Kristine. As far as I know, she comes in when the kids are in the gym, but I haven't seen her in several weeks.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of the kids and teens in a long time, like Diego, Kevin (Toby), Nate Jr., Freddie, Montrell, etc. They might show up at the Gloves to watch the matches.

Yes, License, But No Masters

There were so many people at JABB Gym for the Golden Gloves sign-up this past Saturday that applications ran low, and new license books ran out completely. I was able to renew my license for another year, but alas, no Masters Division fights were scheduled. A guy ahead of me in line renewed his boxing coach's license, and I got information about the next coaches' clinic. Unfortuntately, it takes place this upcoming Saturday, and I have one more Gospel Fest rehearsal to do.

A few guys from Fuller Park who were at the registration asked if Junior was going to be in the Gloves. They bragged on his skills; one of them said he wanted to fight Junior last year, but he didn't make it into the tournament.

There was a good crowd in the gym this past Friday, but no Keith. Steve wondered if Keith would be back in the gym before the tournament next week. "He might show up the first day of the Golden Gloves," Steve mused. Junior sparred with Tony, the MMA fighter who hadn't been around in awhile. It never fails; Junior always manages to bloody up someone's nose when he spars with them. I saw Steve holding a towel to Tony's nose between rounds. Muhammad wanted to spar with Craig, who didn't come in, so he had to go with Junior. Muhammad gassed out early on, but Steve wouldn't let him quit in the middle of the round. "You have to finish the round, even if you're tired!" Steve told him. That's true, but it is so hard to do.

We did intervals on the heavy bags at the end of the evening. I was amazed that I lasted all five three minute rounds with two knees acting up. I find energy at the oddest times, regardless of how my body may be feeling. While doing that exercise, I overheard Steve telling Mike how hard it is to find matches for me. "She even posted on a Masters' Division internet group one year, but no luck," Steve said. I didn't even bother to post there this year, since the last few times were fruitless. I see others on there looking for fights with little luck. I have an application for the Ringside Boxing Tournament, where they do have masters' bouts. Just have to save the money to get to Kansas City in August if I go ahead and apply.

Possible Sudden Change Of Plans

I was in the gym this past Sunday, as Steve had it open. He plans to open it on Sundays for extra practice for the Golden Gloves tournament. I really, really appreciated getting the extra workout in, even though I have snowball's chance in getting a match at the Gloves.

Looks like I may have a hard time renewing my boxing license, too. It was my fault that I didn't think to get a note that I had taken a physical last month from my doctor. Couldn't renew it at Hamlin last night because of that. Now I have to show that I took a EKG, too. The last time I had one was December of 2005. Junior, Mike, Mort, Javonte and Keith breezed through getting new licences/renewing old ones and signing up for the tournament. I sat on the sidelines, ticked that I hadn't taken care of business beforehand. My doctor had no problem vouching that my high blood pressure was under control. It dawned on me that my doctor may not sign off on it this time since I'm now also pre-diabetic.

I hate that I missed the last coach's clinic. If I could have applied for a coach's license, then I could have avoided the medical requirements that USA Boxing forces on boxers over 35 years of age. Hey, Freddie Roach has Parkinson's and it doesn't stop him from producing champions. I could also work the corners, get into amateur tournaments and shows for free, plus get involved more with training. Without either a boxer's or a coach's license, I can't do any of those things.

I have an appointment to see my doctor late Thursday afternoon. Judging by mishaps I've experienced since the year began, I don't have a good feeling it's going to go well.

Missed Sparring

I was supposed to spar with Racquel this past Friday, but time got away from us. Plus, I was waivering back and forth about it because of my right knee, which still doesn't feel 100% steady. This week, if the opportunity comes up, we'll spar. I just worry about hurting Racquel. It's silly, I know. As long as I have been in boxing, I should have gotten over the fact that people get hurt a long time ago. It's just that Raquel is very pretty, and I'd hate to throw a wild punch and cut her open. It doesn't matter if I get hit in the face. My younger sister and brother were the cute kids, not me (smile).

Speaking of missed opportunities, I forgot that Steve had opened the gym this past Sunday. I could have gone over there after church. Instead, I went to Evanston, hunting for a CD I didn't find (until this morning on the Internet). Then I went home, complaining about the wet and sloppy weather, got in my pajamas, and puttered around until the Academy Awards came on. Lord knows I need the extra workout.

The week before last, Steve drove Junior home and I walked home at the end of the night. I was crossing the street, when I saw Danny dashing down the alley. He had just gotten off work and was rushing to the gym, but it was too late. It was one night that Steve decided to pack it in early.

Gym Set Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Squats and Schedules

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

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

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

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

Boxing Vs. MMA and Coaching

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

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

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

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

Junior's Return

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

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

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

Senior Moment

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

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

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

Sadiq At The Sabre Room

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

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

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

Slippin' and Fallin'

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

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

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

Missing Or Not

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

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

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

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

More Arrivals

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

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

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

Clearing Out Of The Gym

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

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

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

Will They Stay Or Go?

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

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

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

Avoiding Surgery

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

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

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

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

Eli Visits The Gym

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

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

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

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

Viewing Rocky

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

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

Light Attendance

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

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

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

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

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

Birthday At The Gym

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

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

Bangin' At Brooks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tournament Style

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

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

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

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

Branding and Tats

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

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

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

Tony's Request and Lan's Return

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

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

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

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

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

MMA Knockdown

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

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

Highway Robbery

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

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

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

One Tired Chick

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

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

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

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

Sidetracked By The Flu

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

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

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

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

Collapsing Onto The Canvas

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

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

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

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

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