Dark at 6:00 AM

2 Replies

Dark at 6:00 AM

Not that I want to complain or anything, but if you live in Brooklyn, NY and wake-up at 6:00 AM, you’re waking up in the dark.  Okay, true, most northern cities around the planet experience this as a regular feature of the winter months, but it doesn’t make it any more palatable.

So why am I up?  Well work for one, but more so to find the time for sit-ups and crunches, shadowing boxing, sun salutations, and in general gaining some moments before the rush of the day.  That it’s all in the dark gives this time a bit of mystery.  As if I were an acolyte of Nyx, the Greek Goddess of Night, reveling in the time before Helios makes his way across the sky in his golden chariot.

Waking up in the dark also seems to push one’s sense of purpose; as if in wrenching oneself from what otherwise feels so natural, one has made a bold statement of the importance of the time before morning.  Sure, it is morning by the clock, but the body remains in revolt, at least mine does.  And even as I make my moves around the living room, I keep looking out the window in the hopes of connecting myself with the first rays of morning light — recognizing that I will only find myself tune with the a natural order of things at that moment when I spy Homer’s “rosy fingered dawn.”

Boxing roundup

Leave a reply

Boxing round-up

There was some exciting boxing this weekend what with the Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams fight on HBO and the replay of last week’s Pacquiao-Margarito fight for those who didn’t watch on pay-for-view.

Martinez’s bullet in the second round was incredible to watch, not the least of which to see Williams out cold doing a face plant on the mat — a vivid reminder of the old adage to “protect yourself at all times.”

As for the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, the image of Margarito’s face and knowing of his subsequent facial surgery to correct his fractured orbital bone leaves one to question why the fight wasn’t stopped if not by the ref, then by his own corner. There would have been no dishonor in that and perhaps he’d have been left in better shape to fight another day.  As it is, one wonders if he will have lasting damage beyond his healed fractures after the 12 rounds of head-pounding he received.  Time will tell.

Women’s boxing was pretty exciting too this weekend.

Saturday, November 20th was the final night of bouts in the Women’s International Dual Series held in Oxnard, California.  The fights were terrific with an upset win by flyweight Alex Love over the 2008 Polish champion, Karolina Michaelczuk.  Boxing News 24 has good coverage and stats of the event here.  This puts Alex Love in a great position for medaling in the upcoming Pan American games this summer in Mexico.

Over at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, pro-welterweight Jill Emery had a first round knockout win over her opponent Addy Irizarry that reportedly sent Irizarry to the hospital with a possible broken ankle. Fight News has a paragraph about it here and WBAN (Women’s Boxing Archive Network) has it here.  The fight was on the undercard of the junior welterweight Paul Spadafora-Alain Hernandez fight — and nice to see more women’s boxing on the roster of these sorts of bouts.

Sit-ups

4 Replies

Sit-ups.

So I went back to Gleason’s Gym yesterday and had a fabulous if slow, training session with Lennox Blackmore.  I managed to get through it all without needing to call for an ambulance and acquitted myself reasonably well, except for the sit-ups.

Talk about embarrassing…

Back in the day (all of three years ago), sit-ups became my favorite province.  I’d do my 100 with Lennox, and then start crunches, reverse bench sit-ups, or sitting on the sit-up bench doing 15-minute sit-up sets. Not that I ever developed a six-pack or any thing resembling even the slightest ripple, I did know that somewhere under my ample padding I was solid as a rock!  Plus, I knew that the core strength was there and even if I didn’t see the actual evidence of my work in the form of the aforementioned six-pack, my improved back strength, tighter stance, crisper jabs, hooks and upper-cuts proved it.

Well I’m here to tell the cautionary tale of use it or lose it!

I mean doing those sit-ups yesterday was painful, pitiful and beyond awful. Suffice to say it’s one of the parts to a work-out that can come back quickly, and doesn’t need any sort of fancy gym apparatus to do.

So … this morning, I hauled myself up nice and early, pulled out the pad and started doing crunches.  I took it nice and slow and while watching my favorite British police procedural on Netflix, did about 15 minutes worth.   I still ache – but, something did click, ‘cause while I may not be able to find the time I need to get to the gym, I can carve the time to do some sit-ups.  Well, at any rate, I’m going to try – so that next time I see Lennox I can at least get through the third set without stopping in the middle!

Gym bound!

Leave a reply

Gym bound!

I am determined to get to the boxing gym this afternoon.  I mean really, it’s been weeks, and here I am attempting to keep a blog going on boxing!  Well, okay. So I’ve been busy at work, true.  Busy writing papers for grad school, true.  Busy being a wife and a mom, true.  But, but, but … I say to myself, that is no excuse, sister, get your butt to the gym!   So today, after dropping the prodigal off at her dance class, it’s off to Gleason’s for some serious huffing and puffing as I attempt something resembling a work out.

The plan?  Hmmm. A short run, maybe 15 minutes worth at a slow pace to be followed by three rounds of shadow boxing.  By then I’ll be warmed up and ready for the most embarrassing part, facing my trainer, Lennox Blackmore.  He will be as he always is, the consummate professional with a mushy heart of molten gold — while I shall be mortified by how slow I am, not to mention out of breath by about 30 seconds into the first round!

Oh well.  I’ve been here before and no doubt will be here again.  The point is that I shall haul myself over there to begin anew and after a while feel the absolute thrill of working hard.  Once I get over the initial shock of working out, I really do have to give it my all and find there is nothing so satisfying as feeling my muscles dissolve into the delicious agony of having been worked to death.  Of course there will be tomorrow when I’ve got to work through the obstacle course that is my life lately to get myself back to the gym for a second day, but that is in truth a problem for another day.

PS – Don’t forget to catch the last night of the Women’s International Duel Series bouts tonight live from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM Eastern Time.  I watched last night and they were terrific.  The link is here.

PPS – Read this GREAT story about women boxers in India who have made extraordinary strides in the recently held Commonwealth Games.  The NY Times has it here.

Also, learn about Mary Kom’s Boxing Academy in the northeastern state of Manipur, India here.


Notre Dame Women’s Boxing Club: Baraka Bouts 2010

Leave a reply

Notre Dame Women’s Boxing Club:  Baraka Bouts 2010

The University of Notre Dame’s annual women’s boxing challenge – the Baraka Bouts started on November 18th.  The women’s boxing club has been active in promoting women’s boxing on campus since 1997 and is well worth supporting.  Aside from the challenge of boxing in the ring, the series will raise money for the Lakeview Senior Secondary School in Uganda.  What’s also nice is that all women in the program have a chance to box — no matter what their skill level.

All about the club here.

2010 women’s international dual series

Leave a reply

2010 Women’s International Duel Series

For those who are interested, the 2010 Women’s International Duel Series will be broadcasting live video from 6:00 PM Pacific Time – 9:00 PM Pacific Time.  The live broadcasts will feature boxing in the three Olympic weight classes and should show a terrific evening of boxing each night from November 18 – November 20.

The link is here.

Fighters include:  Queen Underwood, Pikacs Mercedesz, Alex Love, Vivien Nizsei, Kalita Marsh, Lidia Fidura, Mikaela Mayer, Karolina Graczyk, Stephanie Han, Debbie Richards and Tiffanie Hearn.

If you happen to be in the area of Oxnard, California, tickets can be purchased in advance through the Oxnard PAL website at www.oxnardpalboxing.com, via phone at (805) 385-8230, or in person at PAL office on 350 S. K Street, Oxnard, CA, 93030.

USA Boxing has a nice piece on this as well here.

PS.  Victories on Wednesday Night, 11/17 included three wins by US Women:  NYC’s Christina Cruz, and from the state of Washington, Alex Love & Queen Underwood.


Boxing News 24 has it here.

Women’s boxing in UK

Leave a reply

Women’s boxing in UK

Britain’s BBC has started airing Women’s boxing as a run-up to the debut of the sport in the 2012 Olympics.  Broadcasting a fight this past weekend with Britain’s Nicola Adams, a buzz has started to filter through the British press about the viability of the sport as one that is professional and exciting.

The matches included Amanda Coulson versus Natasha Jonas, and Nicola Adams versus Lyndsey Holdaway.

We might all say, well “duh,” but as an acknowledgment of how far Women’s boxing has come since the early 1990’s it is exciting to see.

The BBC reported the story here.

Meanwhile, The Women’s International Dual Series is starting today in Oxnard, California.  In this series, a total of 18 boxers coming from five nations around the world will compete.  The event will have nine bouts of exciting boxing per night and its promoters hope that it will continue to elevate the visibility of the sport.   Boxing News 24 has a story about it here.

The best of the best

Leave a reply

The best of the best

My prodigal has been feeling ill over the past few days with a headache she can’t shake and a runny nose that could have won the NYC Marathon.  True champion that she is at the offer of a day home in bed, she’s in the shower clearing her mind and her nostrils to do battle with the day.  In her case, her usual array of 6th grade classes and a make-up science test in an attempt to better her grade.

This is par for the course for her though.  And I’m reminded that as a second grader she stayed up till the then unseemly hour of 10:15 PM to finish a project for class.  She was studying bridges that year and she could barely remain awake as she completed the last final touches to make her bridge that much better.

I was in awe then at her resolve to work through the problem — and though my husband and I had to fight our instincts to demand that she go to bed, her tired but triumphant self-satisfaction the next morning was inspiring and brought much more than a tear to the eye.

She is no less triumphant this morning, exiting from the shower with a smile and saying, “I feel happy and I’m awake!”

Would that all of us could take a cue from that simple construct.

Guilting you into it

Leave a reply

Guilting you into it

Ever have one of those mornings when even the cat has her hooks into you?  I mean it’s not even 6:00 in the morning and the day is already all about getting stuff done, and done fast.

“Raining outside?  Oh, that’s okay, use an umbrella to go out and get me my latte!,” say’s he who wants desperately to be obeyed.

Yep, one of *those* mornings where only the premium flaked cat food will do.

My answer other than to take care of the “damn” nonsense of life including lattes in the rain and the last round of studying for my daughter’s make-up science test, always goes back to freezing time for my morning something.  Today that means the daily write and sun salutations and the occasional foray into a tap dance, say in the elevator of where I work where the acoustics make my taps sound perfect.

And later, say at lunch time, I’ll tune out for a few on my iPad and have a think about something other than coming home to sort the laundry.


P.S. – Nothing like the vision of a Starbucks barista in a Santa hat to make the day seems sunny after all!

New beginnings

2 Replies

New beginnings.

Mondays afford the possibility of new beginnings.  A bit like a new year, Mondays begin the week and hence offer the chance to take a stab at starting over.   This mini-New Year also offers the start of new resolutions such as getting back to the gym, beginning a diet, or waking up an hour earlier to start that novel that keeps beckoning from the keyboard.

The point is that we have that opportunity to take a stab at new things all the time; whether an adventure in cuisine, creative endeavors, physical prowess, or something as simple as drinking one less cup of coffee.

And sure, Thursday can come when cake is the overriding motivation of the day, but you do have Monday or any other day you choose as your start day to look forward to.    That’s the day when you have the opportunity to move yourself along to where ever it is you want to go as a fresh beginning, whether its shadow boxing in the dark as your morning sun salutation or greeting your gym mates at the end of the day having missed their company for a while.

Missing a day

Leave a reply

Missing a day.

When one commits to a daily something as a specific task, missing a day can be a big emotional ouch.

Back when I boxed everyday, whether at the gym or at home, missing a day felt like a betrayal.  I had gone ahead and signed some sort of blood pact with myself to train everyday and then blown it!

The next day always felt awkward.   I found myself discounting the days and weeks of effort and sweat as if I had to start all over again.

Of course, I didn’t have to.  Sure I lost the day, but it didn’t mean having to give up training or all the good that working out in the ring had done for me.  It just meant that I had to work a bit harder to get my groove back; a few extra sit-ups to make up for the ones I’d lost.  Perhaps throwing in an extra bit on the treadmill during the warm-up, or the three rounds on the slip rope I’d been meaning to work into my routine.

The point is not to beat yourself up.

Things happen.  Work, family, a rotten cold, or maybe a jammed feeling that leaves a blue cast over the day that you just can’t shake.  The next day will be there for you to do your daily something again — and really, it’ll be okay.

You might also like:

The daily something

Day ahead of myself

Leave a reply

Day ahead of myself.

I’m getting days ahead of myself.  It comes of too much on my mind and not enough focus.  Maybe that’s why the pads a trainer uses in boxing are called “focus” pads.

I clearly need some focus or my family might actually follow through on their threats to set me adrift at sea.  ‘Not that I’ve become a Captain Bligh around here, but it’s pretty clear that the problem is me and not with the rest of my world ’cause they’ve been pretty perfect.


Friday movie: Girlfight

Leave a reply

Friday movie:  Girlfight

The film Girlfight directed by Karyn Kusama was one of the first films out about girl boxing.  Released in 2000 it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Girlfight stars Michelle Rodriguez as Diana, an angry high school senior who is struggling to find her place in the world.  As a boxing genre film, it shares some of the elements of the classics, the wrinkle of course being that Diana must also contend with the being a woman in the ring.  It should be remembered that the film came out only a few short years after women began competing in the Golden Gloves, so some of the issues dealt with were still as raw as portrayed.

As far as fight movies go — this one’s fun and well worth adding to your queue on Netflix.

Safe space

Leave a reply

Safe space.

I came home from work last night to see my husband and my daughter sprawled on the living room floor doing math together.   My day had been exhausting and I was no less so after seeing them.   The lovely part of it was knowing how safe my daughter was as I excused myself and went into the bedroom to take a short nap.

Having missed out on a lot of that sort of intimacy in my own childhood, it got me to thinking that the boxing gym can offer that same sort of comfort.  My meaning is not necessarily tied into the idea of “Father” / “Daughter,” but “Trainer” and “Trainee.”

As a “student” of boxing one is seeking out guidance and learning from others. That learning encompasses all the usual pathways of acquiring knowledge; however, it occurs as a close physical experience and it is that closeness that can garner trust and comfort.   To sit in a boxing gym is to observe a myriad of small moments of loving intimacy. A sort of safe space for working through the actual problems of how to box; but more so the intangibles of relationship that dog many of us as we go about the everyday work of life.

Tap dancing

Leave a reply

Tap dancing.

Boxing has the precision and improvisational artistry of tap dancing.

I came across this sweet film by Jackie Paré entitled “Sweet Feet – Tap Goes Global”  that seems to sum up the beauty of letting your heart go as you swing.

Please note that the video will appear in a separate window:
Sweet Feet – Tap Goes Global from Jackie Paré on Vimeo.

And of course the famous scene with Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis and tap dancing legends: Arthur Duncan, Bunny Briggs, Jimmy Slyde, Steve Condos, Harold Nicholas and Sandman Sims.