Wednesday Return

Oksana thought I had quit the gym because I had been gone for awhile. Work and sickness have kept me out longer than I thought. There were a couple of guys I didn't recognize; they were new. One of them was a buddy of John, who was in attendance.

"I can do defense, but my feet won't move fast enough. I guess it's because I'm 47 years old," John told me. "I'm the same age," I told him. He stopped and gave me a look of disbelief. "You look really young," he told me. "Eh, I look in the mirror and see the small wrinkles and the gray hairs," I smiled. I agreed with him that middle age slows down reflexes. My footwork isn't what it used to be, either. It's just as well I didn't spar tonight. After being out for awhile, I need to work my way back up to that.

The speed bag is still down. When Steve was the coach, it was noticed that where the bag screws in looked stripped. The bag seems to be down more times than it's up lately. I console myself by getting time on the double-end bag.

Greg is going to sign up for the Golden Gloves, Allen told me. The sign up for the tournament is soon. I need to catch up with Barry to see if he's heard anything about a coach's clinic.

Shades of Tyson and Holyfield

Haven't had anything new to post lately due to a) not being able to go to the gym some nights because of my second job and b) now, me being sick with a cold that feels more like the flu.

I was watching "Friday Night Fights" on ESPN2 last week. One opponent decided to bite the other opponent near his shoulder. The camera got a close up of the teeth marks. Reminded me of the Tyson/Holyfield mess where the latter boxer found himself missing part of an ear. It was clear that the guy on "Friday Night Fights" was trying to get out of the fight, but why take that way out? The cops escorted the guy away from the ring and probably down to the station.

Internist's Eye

I didn't know that Keike was an internist, as well as Sol's fiancee. I thought they might have already been married. Sol didn't come in, but Keike did; he took a punch to his right eye last night. I didn't see the punch because I was working on one of the heavy bags. I turned around in time to see him hanging over the ropes. "I'm seeing double," Keike told Coach A and I. I do hope he went to have his eye checked out today.

Coach A told us he had suffered a detached retina once. Luckily, he got medical help soon enough to save his sight. "I get in the ring to work the mitts and things like that, but as for mixing it up in sparring? I'm too old to take those hits anymore," he said.

Oksana wasn't there last night, so I was spared from having my head knocked around. It's my fault, really. I have to practice more at being an inside fighter. I'm too short to fight from a distance.

Two-A-Night

I sparred with Oksana again last night, and my head was bounced around again. Allen was barking, "Come on, work the jab! You gotta get in there!" I was definately not on my game at all. Halfway through the round, I was tired out. Something told me not to agree to spar, but I did it anyway.

Then I was in the ring with Sol. "Are you hitting with your full strength?" she asked me at the end of our first round. "No," I answered. "Me neither," she admitted. It was a little easier with Sol because she's about the same height as I am. Sol did manage to pop me in the stomach a few times.

I have got to check my gym bag before I leave the house. Got all the way to the gym to find out I had left one of my boxing shoes at home. I was sparring in the ring wearing socks. My mouthpiece wasn't in, either. "Any tips on how to wear a mouthpiece without gagging on it?" I asked Allen. "Try wearing it while working on the bags," he suggested.

I also need to remember to wear my volunteer badge. The park district is cutting down on folks showing up in classes who haven't paid. As a volunteer, I attend the gym for free. However, in order not to get Allen or myself in trouble in case someone shows up to monitor, I need to have the badge on me.

A Long Six Minutes

It is true that when you are inside the ring, those two or three minutes (whichever time the round is set for) seems like a long, long time. I was sparring with Oksana yesterday. Before we started she said, "Take it easy on me. I've never done this before." I agreed to go light.

When the bell rang, Oksana came out slugging. She's taller than me, so immediately I had to go to fighting on the inside. However, like most people who are taller than I, she has a longer arm reach. I was boxed about the head a lot. If I had moved my head, bobbed and weaved, and slipped a few punches more, I could have avoided the slight headache I had afterwards. That's always been a problem with me about moving enough in the ring.

I was pushing Oksana back at one point, because she was crowding me. For the first time ever, I heard the coach say, "Break!" while I was sparring. That never happened before. Later, Oksana explained that when I kept coming forward, she wasn't sure how to counteract that. Allan told her that she needed to use her jab more to keep me away. "You're taller than she is, so you don't have to throw a lot of punches to keep her back. Just pump the jab," he said.

Oksana told me she punched harder, but yet I kept throwing light punches. "You should have came back at me hard," she said. However, I had promised not to do that beforehand, and a promise is a promise. I have witnessed guys sparring who made similar promises, only to change their minds once the action began.

Allan told me about Leon, who is the big guy who always seems to show up just in time to spar. "I like the guy, but he calls me about getting matches, but doesn't come in to work out," he said. Leon sounded suspiciously like Jordan, and a few other guys in the past who would call Steve with the same line.

Holiday Boxing

I was a little surprised the gym (and the field house, as well) was open on MLK, Jr. Day. But then I had to remember the gym never used to be open on Mondays at all.

Amanda is the person who saw this blog on the 'Net. She asked about sparring with me in a couple of weeks, and I told her we could. Later, Allan asked me about sparring with the women in the class. He wasn't sure how many would be interested. The guy who works in airport security figured if the women keep coming into the gym, they would eventually want to spar. That's not always true, but I'm always hoping more would be interested in sparring.

Another guy in the gym, one whom I helped wrap his hands a few times (I have to get people's names straight), saw the picture of me up on the bulletin board. "Boxing has really helped you! I can tell that you are a lot smaller than you were in that picture," he said. The picture is from Halloween of 2002, and was taken of me sitting at my former job in my boxing gear. I do look bigger in that photo, so I guess I have lost some weight. Still have more to take off, however.

Tired Wednesday

"Do you feel as tired as I am?" Allen smiled at me in the gym on Wednesday. I was pretty worn out. I had spent extra hours at church helping to get an annual business report done. After that, I went to visit an elderly friend, who's not doing so well, in the nursing home. I almost opted out of going to the gym, but I never want to start that habit.

One of the new persons, a woman whose name I unfortunately can't remember, said "You're the one who writes the boxing blog! I googled it online and found it!" That was the first time Allen heard about my blog. I don't know why I didn't mention it to him earlier. But then, I think Steve found out sometime later that I wrote a blog as well.

Paris Two came in that night (not to be confused with Jordan's buddy of the same name). He goes to school on Mondays, so Wednesdays are the only nights he can attend the gym. It was good to see him again. "There's a lot of new faces," he commented. He asked me did any of the regulars come in anymore. A few of the people who were around during Steve's reign -- Muhammad, Wally, John, Jim, Jermaine, Deb -- still come in. I like Allen, and I like meeting the new people who have signed up. But it's a different feel in the gym since Steve and the other guys left. I'm still adjusting to it.

I heard Allen asking Paris Two if he wanted a match. The Golden Gloves is coming up soon. I have no idea if anyone from the gym is going to be ready to compete in that. I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Igor, Jordan or Keith came in soon asking about getting in on the action. Those three are good for coming in near showtime wanting to get matches.

Wednesday Sparring

The gym was packed again on Wednesday, as it appeared that everyone who was there on Monday returned for another round. I think MoMo was the only person missing.

Wally sparred with the biggest guy in class. I can't remember the guy's name, only that he brought his girlfriend with him. Wally and his friend Keith saw the guy sparring with another guy (an airport security guard whose name I also can't think of). They commented on how slow they thought the big guy was. Indeed, the big guy was very wore out after going a few rounds with the quicker Wally. He kneeled in a corner of the ring to catch his breath.

Matthew sparred with a long-haired friend of his who looked to be about the same age as Matthew. I noticed after they finished that Matthew's friend wasn't wearing a mouthpiece. His friend took a couple of hard hits; he could have lost some teeth.

New Year and Some Old Faces

It was the first night of the Winter session. Allen was surprised when he saw all the newcomers who showed up. He immediately put them to work.

Muhammad, Wally and Deb returned to the gym last night. Wally has now graduated from college. Deb stated that she had taken boxing long before coming to Loyola Park at a gym in Iowa. I finally got to tell Muhammad (MoMo) how much I loved the lamb that his mother had fixed. He told me that he and I will have to check out some Pakistani restaurants.

I shadow boxed most of the time because there wasn't much space to do anything else. The newcomers were on the bags for most of the evening. My right shoulder was acting up. I have no idea what that is about. Maybe I've been sleeping on it wrong. It could also just be another hint that I'm getting older.

First Cut

I've developed a habit of taking naps during the afternoon. I was sleeping so much that I was late to the gym on Wednesday. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised to see MoMo. He came in because Hamlin Park's gym was closed that evening. Bill, the coach there, had gone to Brooks Park, where there was a boxing show taking place. I remain amazed at all the weight he's lost. He sparred with Matthew, and he looked good in the ring.

I ended up sparring again with Matthew, too. I managed to keep the mouthpiece in without choking on it, which was a plus. Matthew and I were going light, but I was popped a little hard in the mouth. I felt something wet on my lower lip. Allen stopped us for a minute because the headgear I had on was slipping. I keep forgetting to bring my own headgear in. He fixed the headgear and gave me some water. "You have some blood on you," he announced.

During the nearly seven years I've been going to Loyola Park's boxing gym, that was the first time anyone had hit me and drawn blood. It wasn't much blood, and it stopped quickly. Matthew apologized, but I waved him off. "It's okay. Things happen," I told him.

Old Jim gave me a DVD of counter punching drills. He's really interested in learning defensive moves. I need to acquire those skills, too. Many of Matthew's punches were landing on me because my hands weren't up, and I wasn't moving enough. I was popped in the eye at one point, as well.

MoMo gave me a ride, and we stopped by his house for a moment. He went inside and came back out with a lamb dish that his mother had made. I told him I hadn't had Pakistani food before, so he hooked me up with some. "It's spicy," he said, when he got back into the car. "I like spicy food," I told him. It looks good. I'll have to make some rice to go along with it.

Birthday Sparring

Yesterday was my birthday, and I didn't plan anything, other than going to work and going to the gym. Mary asked me about volunteering for a Park District event for kids that will take place downtown. I'll have to check my schedule, but I think I can fit it in.

I sparred with Matthew last night, and we went light. Once again, I wasn't wearing a mouthpiece. There's no getting around it -- I will have to learn how to wear it again without choking. My plan is to wear it for so many minutes a day so I can get used to it again.

Found out that Old Jim is not interested in competing, but wants to get "a couple of fights". I don't know about that. It's hard for boxers over 35 to get licenses, whether for amateur or professional bouts. I've always believed that the USA Amateur Boxing Association added the Masters' Division partially to quash any age-discrimination lawsuits from older people who want to box. But, unfortunately, health problems that seem to appear with the onset of middle age will knock some boxers out of getting or keeping a Masters' license anyway. That's what happened to me, and Old Jim hinted at some medical issues he has.

Sparring Again

Poor Allen wasn't feeling well tonight; it was a case of the flu, but he came into the gym anyway. No sign of Old Jim, but Paul came in, along with John and Mark. Matthew showed up later, and I learned that he's Allen's son.

John and I sparred. We were supposed to go light. I didn't wear my mouthpiece. I was choking on it after I put it in, and then I took it out. I never quite got used to wearing one, to be honest. Perhaps I need to cut it down a little so it doesn't upset my gag reflex. John got me in the jaw, and then again in the face. I was able to get in a right hook to the body on him a couple of times. We only did two rounds, which was enough for me. I was wore out.

After I got back home, I thought I felt a cut on the right side of my face. There wasn't one, but the area was a little tender. It'll probably hurt a little more in a couple of days, due to my delayed reaction to pain.

Disagreement In The Ring

Old Jim was doing a drill with Matthew, a young man who came to the gym with his girlfriend on Wednesday. I was on the speed bag when I heard Old Jim raise his voice. "You're pushing me! I thought we were supposed to be doing drills!" he snapped. Matthew claimed that he wasn't pushing him. Then Old Jim said, "Are you showing off for your girlfriend?" Matthew took offense at this, and they continued to argue until Allen told them to cool it. It made me wonder what is going to happen if Old Jim ends up sparring with one of the younger guys. Some of the younger guys don't hold back during sparring, even though the objective is not to totally beat down the other person.

It won't be long and the Fall session will be over. The Winter session for the adult boxing program begins on January 6, 2009. Hopefully, the word will get around more that the Loyola Gym is open again, and more people will come in. I hope that those that used to train at Clarendon, which is now closed, will sign up.

Two Of The Old Gang

Near the end of the evening on Monday, MoMo (Muhammad) and Jermaine strolled into the gym. "We saw the lights on and decided to come in and check it out!" they said. They've been going up to Hamlin Park to train. MoMo really looked good; he's lost a lot of weight. It did my heart good to see those two. They said they were going to tell as many of the guys they run into that the gym is open again.

I had emailed Jon and Mike some time ago to let them know. Didn't hear from Mike, but Jon told me he goes to Evanston Boxing Gym along with JJ.

Wasn't that many people in the gym on Monday. Marisol, a new woman, came in with a male companion. I wasn't sure if it was her boyfriend or her brother. Mark was another new face; he used to train at Clarendon Park. Paul and Johnny didn't come in, but Jim was there. He was going on with Allen about wanting to learn defense. He even brought a paper with defense drills on it. The paper looked familiar, and I realized that Steve had brought the same thing in over a couple of years ago.

Jim also brought in some punch mitts that he thought Allen could use for pad work. Allen had said last week that his hand was bothering him. I didn't want to ask for pad work because of that. However, Jim kept on and on about getting on the pads (the same thing he used to to when Steve was there), so Allen obliged him. Allen also held pads for me.

Allen believes in having the bell set for three minute rounds, which is a good thing. Amateur bouts are usually two minutes long (sometimes even less when women are in the ring). A boxer who trains consistently at three minutes each round has an advantage in terms of stamina.

New Days and New Coach

Ahh. . .finally the gym has re-opened! The new coach is Allen, and he has been coaching for 30 years. I'm guessing he's about five to ten years older than I. He told me that he won a Golden Gloves belt in the middleweight category back in 1975. Allen gives a lot of tips. He gave me some on how to throw a better jab and uppercut. It was very helpful. I told him that in another month or so, I'd like to spar again.

Old Jim was back in the gym as well last night. He told me that while waiting for Loyola Park's gym to re-open, he had been going to a gym out by Naperville. "I felt like I was really a student there," he said. I took that as a dig against Steve, whom he always complained about.

There were two new guys in the place: Johnny, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, and Paul, an older guy. Johnny sparred with Old Jim. Paul told me that some women were attending the gym, but none of them were there yesterday.

The gym is now open a half-hour later and on Mondays and Wednesdays, instead of Wednesdays and Fridays. Due to my usher job in the evenings, there are some days that I will miss. I did promise Allen that I would be in the gym when I did not have to work.

Clarendon Folds and Loyola Appears To Re-Open

Barry left me a message that the boxing program at Clarendon Park has closed. It's a bit of a surprise, but I can see why. It appeared that not much had been going on with that program for a few years now. Not many boxers seemed to go there to train, either. Barry told me the coach there will work at Loyola Park, but the adult boxing program will be on Mondays and Wednesdays instead of Wednesdays and Fridays.

I'll have to get in contact with both Barry and Mary to find out more details. It's a good thing if that means the Loyola Park adult boxing program will re-open. However, I recently applied for a couple of part-time jobs that take place in the evenings. Due to the fact that unemployment compensation is not going to last forever, I'm not really going to be able to justify turning down a position. If I end up with two jobs, there won't be much time to go to any boxing gym, let alone Loyola Park.

No News Not Necessarily Good News

Nothing much to write about lately, unfortunately. Here it is near the end of October, and the adult boxing program continues to be closed. I keep eyeing a boxing program at Degerberg Martial Arts Academy -- where I used to take boxing before going to Loyola Park -- and thinking about how I can afford that. The standalone program only runs six weeks, however. If you want to go continually, membership in the academy is the way to go. Membership is not cheap, however.

I resumed using the boxing exercise DVDs I have at home. My left shoulder and upper left arm are acting funny again. I'm assuming it's residual stuff from the car accident I had three years ago, plus repetitive movement of throwing jabs for the past seven years. Lifting light weights may help alleviate it a little.

In non-boxing news, the pastor of my church got married over the past weekend. An early report from a church member who attended said that Pastor grinned ear-to-ear throughout the entire ceremony. I laughed about that; it was good to hear.

National Anthem Time Again

Tonight was the annual Loyola Park Boxing Show, and it felt a little different without Steve being around. Some of the old gang did show up: Pete, Otis, Eric, Mike, and JJ brought his Golden Gloves belt along. I sang the National Anthem for the sixth time at the event.

There were nine fights in total. Only two of the bouts featured boxers who were not from Loyola Park. The crowd was smaller this time. I'm guessing that was because the first of the Presidential debates between Obama and McCain were aired this evening. The matches were better entertainment than the usual political arguing. All of them went fast.

The fastest match was also one of the strangest. The boxer in the blue corner kept taking punches from the red corner boxer, and didn't return much fire. He was running from the guy several times. Near the end of one round, the blue corner boxer decided he had taken one hit too many, and he turned tail and ran -- straight out of the ring and out of the gym. The red corner boxer won by default.

JJ and Mike were honored for winning belts at the Golden Gloves, and the announcer also gave credit to Steve for leading them to their victories.

Several people asked me what was going on with the adult boxing program. I wish I could have given them a better answer. People want to come back. Even JJ said he missed the feel of Loyola Park. But things continue to be up in the air about whether it will re-open soon.

One Guy From The Gym

The other day, I was musing about the fact that I never see anyone from the gym, but I forgot about EJ. EJ lives up the street from me. He used to come to Loyola Park on a regular basis, but over the past couple of years, he hadn't been in. But whenever I see him on the street, he asks about what's going on at the boxing gym.

EJ has a wife and a teenaged daughter. They live in what I thought was a condo building; it's actually a co-op. There's not many co-ops in the neighborhood. In light of the gentrification (which seems to have slowed a little due to the economy and various neighborhood problems), I don't think that co-ops are encouraged much. I don't know why. They seem to be a better alternative to the high costs of condominiums.

Last night was the season ender of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights". Unfortunately, due to money disputes between the sports cable outlet and boxing promoters, the program no longer runs all year long. The next season won't start until January. It's a shame -- boxing is one of the few sports that don't operate on seasons, like baseball and football does. Doesn't make sense it has to be regulated like that on ESPN.

The program had been celebrating its ten years on the air by having people vote on the best fights and boxers. Emmanuel Augustus (formerly Burton) was named "the most memorable fighter", and it was a good choice. The guy showboats like a big dog, and is always entertaining to watch. A clip was shown of him fighting someone -- it might have been "Irish" Micky Ward -- and Augustus did a cool sequence of slips to get away from the punches. If only I could move that fast.

I also wish I had Ann Wolfe's job. She's a three-time world championship boxer. She had one of the boxers she trains in a match last night. Like I predicted, the 10 round fight would not go the distance. Her fighter stopped his opponent early in the match. Ms. Wolfe said that she doesn't just want to coach one man to a world championship, but several men to world championships. She comes off as very tough, very determined and very serious. I saved a You Tube clip where she knocks the living hell out of one of her opponents. It was a beautiful punch.

Fall Approaching

I was looking at the many pictures I've taken at the gym and at boxing events. It's rather sad that I don't see the guys on a regular basis anymore. It's just as sad that the adult boxing program is still in limbo down at Loyola Park.

The kids are there on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and I've been forgetting to stop in to see Barry and everyone else. The idea occurred to me to empty out my locker. Maybe one of the kids could use that locker. But then, the combination lock on there is not mine; it belongs to JJ. There's always the hope that the adult portion of the program -- which Mary fought to have at the fieldhouse along with the kids' program -- will be resurrected. Then I would have need of the locker again.

Since fall is approaching, and my diabetes and high blood pressure still exist, I do need to get myself in an exercise program. I like the Loyola Park field house, but most of the other sports programs there are for kids and teens. I believe there's a class for adults, but I'm not a fan of aerobics.

I could shadow box at home. I have boxing exercise DVDs. But I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I miss using the equipment. I miss learning techniques and tricks. I miss the guys. I miss the smell of the gym.