The Glowing Edge

Category: Boxing

  • Signs Your Boxing Team is Coming Together

    Signs Your Boxing Team is Coming Together

    Are you hoping to get in the ring? There’s actually a way to know if the gym where you train will ever have a boxing team that you can learn and grow your game with…

    I train and also volunteer as a coach at a downtown boxing gym that serves primarily inner-city youth. Because the gym is also a gang-related outreach program, the kids have to fulfill certain requirements — maintaining certain grades, staying out of trouble, working hard, showing up regularly, etc. — in order to stay in the program.

    As a result I frequently see kids come in then drop out or be evicted from the program before I even learn their names. So we might go months without ever having anything resembling an actual boxing team come together.

    Just this week we had an amazing sparring night, and I was once again aware that we’d made it to the point of having a good boxing team come together. It feels awesome, and it’s really satisfying to be a part of something like this.

    Here’s how I know when it’s happening at my gym, and it’s pretty much how you can know if it will happen at yours, too. (more…)

  • Interview with Crista Orefice

    Interview with Crista Orefice

    Remember Zoltar, from the Tom Hanks movie “Big”? You gotta watch out for those crazy boardwalk games, they will flat mess with your life.

    Wanna know how Crista Orefice, 37-year-old board-certified music therapist and a singer/songwriter from New Jersey got her start in amateur boxing? Wait. I’ll let her tell it.

    Ummmm, boardwalk games and boxing, Crista? WTF?

    Last summer, my boyfriend and I went to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. At the beach there was the usual boardwalk with an arcade. Well, in this particular arcade stood a video game that changed my life.

    It was a boxing game. You put on these heavy plastic “gloves” and “boxed” with an opponent on the computer screen. As I played this game, throwing a ton of punches, something ignited in me. It was exhilarating! I wanted to play the game again and again.

    It didn’t take me long to make the next step. On the way home, while my boyfriend was driving I was looking up local boxing gyms, and I found one 20 minutes from where I live. Now Dover Boxing Club is more or less my second home.

    Crista's Grandfather
    Crista’s Grandfather

    And the coolest thing of all is that I learned shortly afterwards that my grandfather, who died before I was born, was an amateur boxer and Golden Gloves champion. And he was also a southpaw just like me! He was known as “The Southpaw Wizard.”

    What a great story! My grandfather was a Golden Gloves boxer, too. What other sort of responses did you encounter when you first started boxing?

    Many people were kind of shocked that I took up this sport. People have said things like:

    “Boxing? You? No way!”

    “Oh, please be careful!”

    “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

    “You don’t look like a boxer!”

    I understand where the responses are coming from, and I am small in stature; people don’t want me to get hurt. But I also think many people believe I’m more docile than I really am. In boxing, I am learning to tap into my strength, confidence, and assertiveness.

    Share a little bit about how you train.

    I train 3 to 4 times each week. My normal routine consists of running, jumping rope, shadow boxing, and bag work. One night a week, there is a class that focuses on plyometrics (like box jumps, etc.), duck walks, and calisthenics (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, bicycle crunches, push-ups, and leg lifts). I also use a 13 lb. resistance ball alone or with a partner and drop it on my abs and/ or have someone throw it onto my obliques with some pressure in order to strengthen those muscles so that I will better be able to handle punches to the body.

    There is also this killer drill we do called the Gauntlet which involves a couple of minutes at various stations (e.g., fast feet, shadowboxing, heavy bag, uppercut bag, etc.) – it is brutal but great for stamina and endurance.

    I also do mitt work with my coach as well as defensive drills with a partner. And we have one night of the week designated specifically for sparring.

    What do you love or hate most about boxing? What’s your biggest fear about it?

    At times, I do hate being small – it can get frustrating, since most people have a longer jab than I do. I am learning to work more on the inside which involves getting right in there and not being able to sort of “hide” behind a long jab.

    My biggest fear is something severe happening to my nose, which would impede my ability to sing!

    I know I am taking a risk, but I am working on not letting my fear stop me from trying. Boxing allows you the opportunity to face your fears head on (pun intended); it lets you learn to take punches or learn that you may be able to handle more than you realized. I love the empowerment and the self-confidence boxing builds.

    Building up the skill and technique of boxing is deeply satisfying. This is not brawling. It is a sweet science. It requires thinking and strategy as much as it does conditioning and strength. It’s been stimulating to learn something new and outside of my comfort zone.

    Do you feel accepted and welcomed into the boxing life? Have you encountered prejudices as a woman or an outsider?

    When I first came to the boxing club a little over a year ago, I was mostly the only woman there, but I never felt like I was not accepted by any of the guys there. My coach is so welcoming to both men and women in his gym. He’s had female amateur champions under his wing, so I was not the first woman to set foot in there.

    Recently my coach paired me up to to spar against this young man who had 30 plus pounds on me. He said to him, “Now, just because she is a girl does not mean she can’t fight – she can fight! So don’t hold back with her.” And while he didn’t have us go on like that for too long, he gave me an opportunity to hold my own, and he has commended me for handling strong punches.

    For a while, I was sparring only guys. But now we have about five other women who come and train regularly, so it has been great for me to have other females to spar with, and to whom I can relate on a different level. The guys watch our sparring sessions and offer encouragement.

    Crista2You’re training for your first match! How is that changing things for you?

    I am very excited and a little nervous, too! I intend to give it my best. I have been training for over a year pretty consistently. I know it is for real now, so the level of pressure to succeed has increased.

    At each training session, I am trying to absorb everything that my coach teaches and spar as much as I can. In my humble opinion, sparring is the only way to truly up your game and really learn about your strengths and your weaknesses both within offense and defense.

    I am working on mentally preparing myself for this as well – trying to keep a clear head and just rely on all that I am learning. It will be a comfort to know that my coach will be in my corner the night of the fight. He knows his stuff and I trust him.

    What phrases are starting to come up on your “Boxing Manifesto”?

    • “Protect yourself at all times!”
    • “Stay in your rhythm!”
    • “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward.” (from Rocky Balboa, of course)

    Have you seen particular ways that boxing relates to life, in your experience?

    Boxing, like life, is about resilience. You stay “on your toes” and learn to “roll with the punches.” You adapt to whatever comes your way. You learn to dig deeper and offer more, even when you’re tired. The courage you discover within yourself allows you to go after what you want and won’t let you be stopped by taking some hits or some falls. Even if you lose the round, you can still win the fight.

    Got any advice for someone thinking about taking up boxing?

    I say try it! Members at my boxing club range in age from 8 to 78. You will eventually know if it is your thing or not. Boxing doesn’t mean that you have to become a professional fighter or even an amateur fighter; it has so much to offer even if you only do it as a workout routine. It conditions your entire body. But whether you do it for the workout or to build your skills in boxing, I suggest finding a gym that really teaches the technique, because bad habits won’t help you (and may hurt you) if you do decide to step into the ring. Good luck and keep punching!

    Photos of Crista by Bob Larson

  • Putting Snap in Your Punch

    Putting Snap in Your Punch

    Power is an open secret in boxing, and most fighters hear their coaches talking about “punching through” and “putting your body behind” a solid, powerful shot.

    But there is another, sneakier and equally effective method to score punches, intimidate an opponent, and win your game, and that’s in developing a stinging snap in your punch; particularly your jab.

    A regular jab can be used for a variety of purposes in the boxing ring. It can measure the distance between you and your opponent or it can open the way for a power shot, among other things. But it can be a devastating shot all on its own if you can make it into a snapping whip of a shot, the kind of punch that comes out of nowhere, hits like an electric shock, and disappears before your opponent can even register its presence.

    What gives a punch snap

    A snapping punch is created out of speed and minimal contact. It’s a punch that goes out fast and returns fast. You have to turn it over (right at the end of the shot), touch with sting, and bring it back to guard position in rapid-fire succession.

    A well-landed shot of any kind has a distinctive sound on the heavy bag or mitts. There’s a particular thwack or pop that gives you the feedback you need to know you’ve scored with precision and pain. But a snapping punch has a higher sound, almost like a dry stick being cracked in two.

    The advantages of snap jabs

    1. They save your power.

    When you’re punching for power alone, you will burn a lot of energy quickly, and you run the risk of gassing out. You can’t launch bomb shots rapidly, either. Nor can you spend the entire fight throwing one knockout punch after another; there’s a dance, a balance to be maintained. Boxing is a conscious mental play of the game pieces, and rather than blindly launching everything you have at once, you have to choose your shots.

    2. They’re fast! They buy you valuable time.

    A snapping punch has the great advantage of being incredibly fast. When you get one off, you startle your opponent and buy yourself even more time to launch and score again before they recover. It also allows you to throw more shots than you could if you were loading up power hits one after the other.

    3. They preserve your guard.

    Because your return to guard so much faster, you’re more protected than if you’re leaving yourself open during a push-through or penetrating power hit.

    How to throw a snapping punch

    You have to have your distance exactly right. Throw some measuring jabs out there, and once you know the range for a snap-touch, fire a couple off. If you’re advancing on the jab, you have to put that into your calculations. Try from your stable stance before tossing in an advance, because advance-jabs tend to be more “punch through” than snapping jabs.

    But the biggest secret to throwing a snapping punch is relaxing. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s absolutely necessary. Think about a coiled whip. The stiffer the braided leather is, the less bite the tip will have when it makes contact. But if it’s supple and loose, Indiana Jones is going to make you cry.

    Got snap?

    Leave me a comment and tell me your technique!

    Photo credit: Marco Crupi Visual Artist via photopin cc

  • The Most Critical Boxing Rule Every Fighter Should Follow

    The Most Critical Boxing Rule Every Fighter Should Follow

    If you ask any ten boxers what the most important rule in boxing is you’ll hear things like “wear the right protective gear,”  “find a coach you can trust,” or “learn the straight punches.” And all of those are important in learning to box.

    But as I work each week with the new fighters at my gym, I see one major factor dividing the up-and-coming boxers from the ones who will never make it far in boxing…

    These things are important

    In no way am I trying to diminish the critical nature of the boxing advice you hear online, from other coaches, or even here on The Glowing Edge. Boxing is an enormous, complex sport, and there’s just no way to accomplish much in it without years of solid training and practice. Here’s a list of some great boxing tips, and you’ll get plenty of oil to grease your boxing engine if you follow them:

    But THIS is the dividing line…

    So day after day I’m in the boxing gym, training, coaching, and watching other boxers. And there is one factor that tells me whether or not someone is willing to do the real work of boxing. One single thing.

    And that’s training to the bell.

    I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen guys belly up to the heavy bag, fire off a handful of full-power combos, and then sit back in sheer self-appreciation and deep personal satisfaction.

    Of course it feels great to blast the bag a few times. And there are plenty of days when you want to use every ounce of strength you have, play it all out to see what it feels like.

    But being able to throw 15 hard punches means absolutely zero, zip, nada in boxing.

    Strutting around the gym dabbling here and there is worse than useless — you’re actually in the way of serious boxers and you’re a distraction and bad example to other beginners. It would be better for everyone if you’d just go home and nurse your boxing fantasy in front of your mirror while the rest of us get the real work of boxing done.

    (I so wanted to find a picture of a guy posing in front of his mirror at home, enjoying his boxing superstar fantasy. Go find one and post the link in the comments so we can have a good chortle.)

    If you want to box, train to the bell

    If you can’t go a single full round (2 or 3 minutes) of doing something — punching, footwork, jump rope, shadowboxing, padwork, running, agility dots, slipping, rope work, ring slides, planks, or some other fight-related action — you have not even begun to work at boxing.

    There should be a round timer going in your gym most of the time. If there isn’t, get yourself a timer, or learn to set your watch/phone/music player to time your rounds. Do every single training exercise in rounds of 2 or 3 minutes, with 30 second recoveries. If your round timer has a 30-second bell (which rings to indicate there are 30 seconds left in the round before it ends), use that time to double your efforts and power your way toward the bell.

    If you take a round off, be back at the bags, on the mat, or in the ring and ready to roll when the bell rings. That bell going off should not be your reminder to put down your water bottle and saunter over to the speed bag to resume your work; you should already be there ready and waiting to get the first shot in.

    If you’re running or jumping rope and planning to go multiple rounds, keep going during the 30-second recovery period, but slow down to an easy coast. Then rev back up when the timer sounds the new round.

    If you can’t do a single serious round out of the ring, you have no business getting in the ring.

    If I have any single rule at the very top of the pile, it’s this one. Drill in rounds, practice in rounds, sprint in rounds. Do all your training in rounds, and your transition into the ring will be much faster and better.

    Yes? No? Maybe? Fire away.

    Your turn. What’s your top rule for boxing training? Leave me a comment below!

    Photo Credit: kizette via Compfight cc

  • 4 Ways to Improve Your Boxing Starting Today

    4 Ways to Improve Your Boxing Starting Today

    Sometimes you get in a rut at the gym. You work your way through the same tired-ass routine and come out feeling like you’re not making any major moves forward in your game. Sometimes it just takes a simple suggestion or a new idea to get you moving again. Check out the four tactics below for a refreshing change from the same ol’, same ol’. (Skip straight to number four if you love pain.)

    1. Four Punch Combos

    My sparring partner (and pro fighter) Yvonne gets credit for this one. Most new boxers throw one punch at a time. Even experienced boxers can easily default to single- and double-punch patterns. It’s so common, it’s a cliché: Give it the old “one-two.” The jab-and-a-right (if you’re an orthodox fighter) is as common and predictible as shave-and-a-haircut (two bits).

    To be sure, you can win a fight with ones and twos. But what if you trained yourself to throw three or four punches at a time, rather than one or two? Not only would you significantly increase your potential score, you also throw your opponent off her game, and interrupt the two-punch tradeoff rhythm. Now you’re in control, racking up the score, and forcing your opponent to move and defend.

    Train in four-punch combos. Do it for an entire round. Hell, do it for FOUR rounds. (Can you tell I’m getting off on this whole “four” thing?)

    Don’t make all your shots right-left-right-left; that can be the fastest way to get your shots off, but it can also get predictable in the ring. Mix it up, badass. Toss in a slip, or throw two in a row from the same side now and then.

    I like the guy in the video below, although some of his “crosses” look like straight rights to me… Still, he’s got some shit, right? I would be motivated to stay outta his way.

    2. Four Punch Combo Slip Drills

    It’s easy to work four punch combos into a drill. Ditch your gloves so that you both remember to work for speed rather than strength. Now shadow box with a partner and trade off four-shot combos. She throws four (and moves her feet), then you throw four. Don’t work for touches, work to ingrain the habit of throwing four in a row. Then practice it in sparring later.

    3. Video Yourself

    I hate this one; there’s nothing worse than seeing yourself suck on the replay. But, it also helps you improve. If you’re neurotic like me, try not to pick everything apart. Just get your four shots while moving down.

    Btw, Coach’s Eye is a great app for capturing boxing video, because it lets you slow down the motion and markup the replay.

    4. Four Punch Tabita-Style Sprints

    Wanna kick your own motherfuckin’ ass? Dude, dial summa this up. When my coach is feeling pissy, he has us do these for an entire round. You know, like at the end of a workout. Uh-huh.

    Photo Credit: kate.gardiner via Compfight cc

  • Warrior Woman of the North: Ti Conkle

    Warrior Woman of the North: Ti Conkle

    There are women in the world who absolutely inspire me to rise to the daily challenge of my martial arts training. Ti Conkle is one of them, and there aren’t gems like her just everywhere. In fact, you’ll have a bit of an adventure simply seeking out her company. Ti (short for Titanium, for realz) lives, fights, and perfects her arts in the Land of the Midnight Sun… 

    Tell us all where you live, and how on earth you got (and stayed) there…

    If you looked at a map of the world, located Alaska, wrapped your pointer finger in gauze and took a stab at the middle of the state- you’d probably hit my house (which is why you’d want your finger wrapped). To be precise, that’s Fairbanks, Alaska (64°50′N 147°43′W).

    Like Reykjavik, Iceland and Trondheim, Norway and Yakutsk, Russia- Fairbanks is nestled in the heart of the Land of the Midnight Sun. During the summer, the sun doesn’t really ever set; during the winter months, it barely crests the horizon and civil twilight reigns for about 3.5 hours before The Dark takes over again.

    I was born in Palmer, Alaska and have lived in different portions of the state for my entire life. How I stay here is entirely a different matter: it takes relentless determination to maintain motivation and inspiration through winter months with temperatures hovering around -40. The dark and the cold are the driving force behind my training.

    Ice Fall

    What do you absolutely adore about your environment? Are there things you wish to didn’t have to contend with?

    I crave solitude. Mountains, river valleys, exposed ridgelines and alpine tundra stretch out for miles in every direction within short driving distance of my house and provide the antidote for living in the second largest city in the State of Alaska.

    Contending with the brutal cold, the extended winter that runs from mid-September until April (or May, this year- the coldest spring in the recorded history of Alaska) takes a toll on most folks who live here; I wouldn’t mind a more temperate climate, but the polar bears keep freaking out when the ice sheets melt.

    (Also, here’s a shocking and well-told quick story Ti wrote about an unusual encounter with a moose and her calf…)

    What are the sports that regularly make an appearance in your life? Which was your first love? How did you get started in it, and how did it evolve?

    Mt. Rainier

    In no particular order: mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing (wait, yeah, it’s inorder of importance)… cycling (bike commuting to and from work, April – October), fat biking, Krav Maga, running, Crossfit training, Taekwon-do, Brazilian Jujitsu, soccer, white water kayaking… there are probably more, but I’ve worn out the comma key on the keyboard.

    My first love was and still is: iron. Lifting weights. Heavy weights. Good old fashioned deadlift, squat, bench press… these were the foundation of my foray into strength training and conditioning and my eyes still light up when I hear the unmistakable thump of bumper plates jostling collars as a heavy bar gets dropped.

    I grew up on a large farm: tending livestock, growing and harvesting crops and operating farm equipment. There’s a particular work ethic that drives a farmer: things simply have to get done. Every day. No matter the weather, no matter how you feel, no matter what. I simply took the same muscles that I used for throwing 90-pound hay bales over my head onto a wagon and funneled the movement into driving iron. Even today, when too many days have gone by without a heavy workout, I feel it.

    What’s your experience with boxing or other martial arts?  

    KickinMy introduction to boxing was courtesy of none other than Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, in early 2011. He punched me in the head and I was completely hooked. For the most part, the boxing I do is simply a function of Krav Maga: it’s one of many tools in the toolbox for sparring and for conditioning.

    As to other martial arts… I’ve trained consistently in Taekwon-do for several years and will be testing for my black belt (1st Dan) on May 31, 2013.

    I also have the opportunity to train in Brazilian Jujitsu and Judo, as several of the other Krav instructors train, compete and instruct in those disciplines.

    What sport of yours is most engaging or dominant for you right now, and why?

    Right this moment, Krav Maga and Taekwon-do are in a battle to the death, fighting for every available moment of my time and brain space. Krav is winning. I’ve waited for more than twelve years to have the opportunity to train in Krav Maga and am now a Krav instructor, as well as a continuing student.

    How do you train? What does your weekly routine look like?

    Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’m cradling a cup of imported Italian espresso by 4:10 AM. By 4:45 AM, I’m on my bike and riding to Elite Urban Fitness for the first workout of the day (Crossfit style). From there, I bike to work (I work as an investigator/auditor for State and Federal government)

    By the time the day is half over, I’m outdoors again for a walk or run- depending on weather; then back to work. I bike commute home, regroup and rally gear and head to either Krav or Taekwondo (depending on the night).

    Two nights a week, I train back-to-back Krav sessions and wrap up at 9:00 PM. Two nights a week, I train in Taekwon-do. In between, I instruct classes.

    Weekends frequently find me either rock climbing or racing (running or cycling), in the summer.

    Is yours a solitary journey? Who are your trainers and traveling companions? Does one in particular stand out? How has that person made an impact on you?

    Spar

    My husband, Jeff, daughter, Dez and I all bike commute to work and school (respectively) and we train together at Elite Urban Fitness. Dez is thirteen and wrestles varsity for her middle school, plays soccer, trains with me in Taekwon-do and competes in running races with us. My journey is an adventure in the dynamics of family, training, work and play- and rarely is there enough solitude to fully satisfy me.

    At different points in our lives, all three of us have been significantly overweight and unhealthy. Individually, we have each taken on the challenge of eating to fuel our endeavors, training to meet our goals. Together, we inspire, motivate and rally each other.

    How does being a wife and mother change your sport?

    I’m not only a mom and wife, but also a medic. The combo pack makes me one very fierce, determined, risk-assessing, analytical, compassionate human being.

    I am deeply fortunate to have my best friend as a life partner: he is a construction management engineer and a highly talented chef. I know, right? He does all the cooking at home, which literally fuels my every adventure. Whether I’m finishing an ultra-marathon on a sprained ankle or traveling to San Francisco for work, he’s right there. Cheering me on, believing in me, holding up my half of the sky when I’m gone for weeks on end, climbing… without Jeff, I couldn’t do a fraction of what I do.

    As for Dez… I write about her. A lot. She’s an incredible woman with her own sense of humor, sarcastic wit and athletic prowess. She’s tough, determined and… she’s a wrestler. This spring, when 423 competitors took to the mat at the state championships, she was one of only 15 girls to earn a spot as varsity wrestlers. She wrestled the 160 lb. / 72.5 kg bracket and placed ninth. It was her first year of wrestling and she was one of the youngest competitors on the mat.

    Being a mom to a girl like this has definitely changed my sport: I bring my best game, no matter how I feel, every time I train.

    *   *   *

    Ti is not only a martial arts enthusiast and coach, she’s also an amazing photographer. You can follow her at her blog, Element 22.

    *Please remind me about Ti the next time I whine about working sprints after the temps drop below 40 degrees…

  • How Many Rounds Does it Take to Shake Off Ring Rust?

    How Many Rounds Does it Take to Shake Off Ring Rust?

    I lost my most consistent sparring partner to 6 months of overseas travel this year, and while I got rounds here and there when I could, there’s nothing like sparring two days a week, every week, to keep you in boxing shape. NO amount of conditioning (running, weights, etc.) can make up for straight-up ring time.

    So I was looking pretty sorry when she finally got back to the States, and was thankful (in a sick and twisted way) that Yvonne had not been sparring every week while she was gone, keeping in ring shape while I wasted away.

    A tiny bit of good news, if you’ve been out of the ring…

    Minor segue: I’m pretty sure boxing is at least a little bit like riding a bike. If you’ve been doing it a while, then you are out for a few years, it’s not nearly as difficult getting back in the ring as it would be if you were stepping into the sport for the very first time. Some stuff sticks with you. This is pure speculation on my part, but it’s 100% true, hah.

    Anyway, when Yvonne and I got back to the gym together after half a year, we were eager to test out our sparring.

    How sparring looks, after several months out

    One word: ragged.

    Okay, more words: rusty, sloppy, wild, uncontrolled, messy.

    Since I have weight on Yvonne, it’s particularly important for me to control my punches during our sessions, although having been a pro fighter for more than a decade, she can certainly take a punch. But if I’m doing good work, she shouldn’t have to feel all of it.

    Sigh. It was ugly. I couldn’t control my shots, wasn’t relaxed, and felt cardboard-y and frustrated. Intensely happy to be back to regular sparring, but annoyed at how ugly my work was.

    We slogged through the rounds anyway, knowing that the only way through the slop was… through the slop.

    Set your round goal and start low

    My goal was to get five rounds of good sparring every time I got in the ring, no matter what. So on our first day back the two of us set the round timer to 2-minute rounds with 30-second rests.

    We wheezed and groaned our way through and were damned happy to quit. Who knew two minutes could be so excruciatingly long?

    Well, we did. And we had suspected as much.

    Other things that help

    Other than having an experienced, trustworthy sparring partner, there’s not a damn thing that truly helps, that first time back sparring. Maybe not the first two times. But I found that one thing that did start helping was moving back to some basics.

    After getting in the first time, I decided I needed to work in three places:

    • Keeping my feet moving
    • Punching in combinations (rather than one or two shots at a time)
    • Slipping

    Sounds basic, no?

    Keeping your feet moving has to do with conditioning, and this kind only comes with training with sprints, agility dots and ladder drills, and, well…sparring. So I started doing some dot exercises when I could, and adding intervals on the bike during non-boxing days.

    For me, punching in combos comes back in when I practice in slow motion. Which NO ONE wants to do in the gym, because you feel like an utter ass when you’re doing it. But I tried to slow down during shadowboxing and think/move my way through combos, rather than delivering one or two punches at a time.

    This actually helps with slipping, too, because if you throw a one (jab), followed by a power two, you’re in position and weighted to throw a hook. You’re already shifted to the side. Voila, slip.

    In fact many of your shots go from one side of your body to the other in a rocking rhythm, and the boxing becomes  a kind of (in my case, sort of ungainly) dancing.

    The problem for me with slipping is simply that Yvonne’s shots are very (very) fast. She punches faster than I can see or anticipate. BUT, when you have this situation, you slip anyway, and sometimes you deflect the blow slightly, which is still a positive outcome.

    The magic moment

    After our first time sparring, we moved back to three-minute rounds (holy shit that was grueling). We sweated and struggled our way through a total of 20 solid (and by “solid” I mean we worked our asses off) rounds.

    And on our fifth time back — round 21 was suddenly golden. We floated through our five that day like dandelion seeds on the wind. Violent and mean-ass dandelion seeds, dammit!

    We both marveled at the difference. For me, it was primarily about feeling relaxed. I was relaxed, loose, and comfortable in the ring. It was awesome.

    20 rounds, Jack. It took us 20 to get back.

    That’s just four sparring days, y’all. That is do-able. So next time you’re feeling all “there’s no way I can get back in the ring,” remember that it may only take you about 20 rounds to get to golden.

    Warning

    After our golden-rounds-with-badass-mermaids-singing session, we were sparring for the first time with our team again, in front of our coach.

    It was a mix of clunky and golden. I was more tense, trying harder to please, and working more rounds, too. So it wasn’t all roses, but I was intensely thankful that Coach Massey hadn’t seen me for the first 20 rounds.

    Now you

    Everybody has seasons out of their sport. Leave me a comment below and tell me how long it took you to shake off the rust and get back in the golden groove. What tricks did you use? Were there any shortcuts? Did you have any “ah-ha” or “oh-fuck-no” moments? Spill.

    Photo Credit: Marco Crupi Visual Artist via Compfight cc

  • Top Advice for Boxing Over 40

    Top Advice for Boxing Over 40

    1. No, it’s not a young man’s sport.

    It’s not even a young person’s sport. This sport is for the ones who want it, who are willing to work their asses off to advance in it, and who are able to take the hits and dish out a few of their own. Boxing belongs to you. You dominating the ring is acting your age.

    2. You have passion. That’s sexy.

    Listen, we spent enough years pussy-footing around the world, asking everyone for permission to try things we were curious about or to unlock doors we wanted through. Now you’re the bouncer at the club of your own future. Hell, you’re the bouncer and the show. That’s hot. That’s damned hot.

    3. Figure out your limits. Then bust through them.

    One thing boxers have in spades is patience. Nobody learns to box in 10 minutes. Or 10 months. When you’re over 40, you have perspective, and by gawd you’re willing to claw your way to the level of fight performance you want, no matter how long it takes. Let the kids get discouraged. Let them come and go. We’re still here. We’ve seen problems and overcome them. We’re sneaky as well as badass. Be warned.

    4. You’re older and smarter, so adapt things you need to adapt.

    Physical limitations don’t faze boxers. I don’t do bear crawls anymore — you know why? Because they wreck my shoulders, and I need my shoulders for the ring. There is no shortage of types of exercise. If it takes me out, I don’t do it. If it keeps me in, I’m on it. And that’s all the justification I need, sucka.

    5. Give yourself the recovery time you need.

    Truth is you’d have more aches and pains if you didn’t box. That’s why other people take prescription painkillers rather than just aspirin. God invented aspirin (and icepacks) so that we could go on boxing. But we also know how to work hard, then let our bodies recover. Boxers know that muscles build during recovery.

    6. The turkeys will flap. Let ’em flap.

    E’erbody got something negative to say about boxing. We’re listening, until we’re not. Then we’re boxing.

    7. Eat clean. Fuel your sport.

    When you were 28, you could eat like Honey Boo Boo, drink like a college freshman, and still go out and run a 10k the next day. You still can! But the difference is that now your performance suffers. The other night I came home and found my husband in bed with vegetables. Dayum, that was sexy. Other people can eat powdered donuts in bed; their sport is laying around watching television. Veggies make for great…performance.

    Photo Credit: More Drews than you. via Compfight cc

  • How to Get Back Into Training

    How to Get Back Into Training

    We played flu dominoes at my house. First my youngest son, then the middle son, now me. I wrote down a bunch of my whines about it here, then deleted them because they were so onerous. Having the flu sucks.

    And type A that I am, I’ve spend a fair amount of my laying-miserably-on-the-couch time thinking about how hard it’s going to be to get back in the gym, how intensely difficult it is in general to come back after a period of inactivity.

    How fast do you get out of shape?

    I’ve read and heard lots of conflicting opinions on this. Some say that you have to be out for two months before you lose your conditioning. My guess is that they mean ALL your conditioning, because I feel a significant reduction of fitness in two weeks (or less).

    Maybe I’m wrong, but getting in shape feels like climbing a mountain, and if you’re only halfway up, you’ll get back down to the bottom faster than if you’re standing on the summit. Just my non-scientific view.

    And I always thought everyone slides down the mountain at about the same rate, but this old article in the Chicago Tribune says veteran exercisers lose their fitness level at a slower rate. (See, I tried to do at least a little research.) Thank the good baby Elvis something’s working in my favor here.

    First the lungs…

    Fewer mitochondria means less oxygen to your muscles, and the longer you’re out of the game, the faster your mitochondria count plummets. How to build more mitochondria? Err, aerobic exercise. Dammit.

    Then the muscle…

    I barely have the power to shove my 6 pound dog Rocky out of my way so I can shift positions on the couch. Ugh. And according to this guy, you not only start losing muscle fibers when you’re out of your workouts, but your slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers freaking convert to “couch potato” muscle types. I’m screwed.

    So what’s the plan, Stan?

    Life is no fun without spreadsheets. So I have one, even if it only exists in my mind. I’m planning my return to boxing, you better believe it. How do people NOT box? Life is no fun with out boxing. Spreadsheets and boxing. And little dogs. But I digress…

    Truly, I do have a plan. It’s a four-point plan, which is easy enough for my fatigued brain to hang on to. Here ’tis. (more…)

  • Sparring Lesson: Use ANYthing You Have

    Sparring Lesson: Use ANYthing You Have

    Our gym currently has not one, but two coaches with injuries. Both injuries mean they can’t use their power right, at all. Not even a little bit.

    Interestingly, on sparring night both of them were in the ring with only one glove. Sinclair can’t even get a glove on his right, it’s so swollen, and Sam could have gloved (his injury was to his shoulder), but didn’t. But they still confidently put on one glove and started moving everyone toward ringtime.

    Since we had a gym full of young, messy fighters, I had been expecting to get more work than usual with my two gloves.  And while I did work with several different boxers in our gym, I was reminded of a few things I hadn’t thought of in a while, and I also learned something I wasn’t expecting at all. (more…)