Tag Archives: musings

Women’s Boxing: One year to go till Olympic Glory!

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t like boxing. My boxing hero was Mohammad Ali — and I have vivid memories of watching his fights on television, not to mention his running diatribes with Howard Cosell. And sure, that was all “back in the day” — but that was also history unfolding from Ali’s decision to embrace Islam on through refusing induction in the Army. What resonated was Ali smiling for the camera and saying, “I’m so pretty.” Those were powerful words for a boxer and a black man in America at that time — and frankly any time — upending notions of beauty, the ferosity of the ring, and the notion that there were limits on how high a human being could soar.

What I found was inspiration. I wanted to be him. Not so much as a boxer per se, but as a person that could take life and make it my own as an act of courage.

In thinking about the young women working their hearts out in the ring in preparation for next summer’s Olympics, I think of Ali. As a young 18 year old, he won Gold as a light heavyweight in the Rome Olympics and by the age of 28 had became an iconic figure in American history. “The Greatest” changed the world.

The future Olympians who ply the boards through countless hours of hard work in the gym show feats of courage every time they step into the ring — and while they may not be as earth shattering as Ali, those acts of hard work are no less important to the scheme of things, not to mention that we don’t yet know just where any of these women will end up in the years to come.

Given that we’ve hit the one year mark — the main stream press has started to focus in on these women and their ambition, and as a salute to our future Olympic heros, here’s a smattering from around the web.

Queen Underwood (USA) – USA Today has a piece out entitled Queen Underwood chases glory in the boxing ring that talks about Queen’s dreams of winning Olympic gold.

Mary Kom (India) – Called “Magnificent Mary”, Kom is a five-time gold medal winner who is currently training with the Indian men’s team in pursuit of Olympic gold as noted in the Times of India article, Mary Kom trains with men’s team’s foreign coach.

Katie Taylor (Ireland) – Talk about courage in the ring, Katie Taylor is a fearless competitor having just won her 38th victory in a row with her gold medal victory in the European Union championships. She is also an iconic figure of brilliance in action in her native Ireland as the Irish Times piece ‘Perfect fight’ ends with European Title attests.

There are countless other Olympic hopefuls with countless other dreams of rising to the podium — and what we can do is support those dreams with our unwavering passion for the sport we love.

Boxing committed, boxing crazy!

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Boxing committed, boxing crazy!

Working out in the heat, Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

Given that I boxed in the heat on Wednesday, I had zero intention of finding my way to Gleason’s Gym this afternoon — in 104 degree heat! In fact, I was all set for a 9:00 AM training session with Lennox Blackmore (with a temp around 90), when we got to texting and his 4:30 PM Saturday became my 4:30 PM on Friday!

Amy Scheer, "wait for it" blogger

Meanwhile, I’d already met up with Girlboxing pal Amy Scheer visiting NY from Grand Rapids, Michigan who had a fabulous morning training session with Len @ Gleason’s.

We hooked up near Gleason’s at the edge of Cadman Plaza Park (when the temperature was a cool 98 degrees) — and gab, gab, gabbed over lunch at Taza’s about boxing, training and how to get to the next level. (BTW, check out Amy’s terrific blog, wait for it.)

Amy has been boxing for a while, but is looking to step up her game with sparring, improved technique and maybe even a go at some amateur boxing at the masters level.

After lunch — when the temp reached 100, my plan was to get back to the cool of the office, and figured my exercise of the day would be the sprint home to husband and AC!

Double-ended bag, Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

Rock, Trainer, Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

Well, the best laid plans … at Gleason’s, however, having missed my connection with Len — I figured what the “hay” and started in on the double-ended bag.

Call me crazy, but I had a blast as did the handful of other boxers and trainers working out! And really, it wasn’t that bad.

Sandra from Switzerland, enjoying her visit to NY! Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

The funky gym smell seemed to have dissipated and I just felt plain old tickled by how good it felt to whale away.

John "Superman" Douglas, Trainer, Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

And yes, it was hot, and even hotter on the way home, but I also felt kind of special for hanging in and sweating my way through 12 dripping-wet rounds on the hottest day of the year.

Shadow Boxing, Gleason's Gym, July 22, 2011

Mid-summer and remembering what hot means!

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Mid-summer and remembering what hot means!

As with most parts of the United States, Brooklyn is baking under the sun and about to get a lot hotter today. At Gleason’s Gym after work yesterday, I found myself dragging and remembered what that hot, funky mid-summer gym smell was! Pretty ripe — but as I worked out and my muscles loosened to a gelatinous mass I also remembered why I love a summer workout.

Keisher "Fire" Mcleod-Wells

Still, it was hard to get the rhythm and I never did get my usual overheated combinations on my combinations going, rather I found myself throwing punches at a slow and steady pace … meanwhile, as one of my fellow gym denizens remarked, women actually out-numbered men at the gym, including Keisher “Fire” Mcleod-Wells sparring and working out in preparation for her upcoming NY State Championship bout on July 30th. That alone was inspiring enough to keep me going for a couple of more rounds — that and a look at just how hard everyone was working.

And that’s the thing isn’t it. So much of what we do is in relation to the folks we share the mirror with. Checking out moves, stances, combinations, cute tricks, and level of effort. To me that’s what the real hot means.

Whether it’s catching a glimpse of Fire in the ring as she works her magic or on any Saturday morning when all three rings are filled with sparring, some of it skilled, some of it less so, and some of it showing all the beauty of an improvisational pad de deux; catching the pulse of the boxing all around us is a boost like no other.

I wished I had more energy yesterday to match some of the effort, but even at my plodding pace, I felt the heat of the place as so much boxing energy winding its way through the gym as a giant wave capturing us all in its wake.

Getting your motivation on.

‘Been one of those weeks!

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‘Been one of those weeks!

Talk about feeling like ….

This week’s been a bear. It started out with migraines progressed to caffeine withdrawal and as I entered the middle rounds we’re talking full on laryngitis, chills, coughing, runny nose, sneezing and general stooped misery. The anecdote you wonder? Lots of fluids, hot split pea soup (particularly soothing on the throat), warm salt water gargles, my new low acid-mostly alkaline diet, steam, steam and more steam on my face and early bed with lots of bad TV, though I did enjoy watching So You Think You Can Dance and a rebroadcast of John Duddy’s 2006 win over Luis Ramon Campas for the IBA Middleweight title.

The unfortunate thing … I was too under the weather to hit the gym so it’ll be a full on workout on Saturday, though by last night I was feeling somewhat better and did manage some sit-ups and light weights for my arms.

In checking out the idea of exercising when your “under the weather,” no less an authority than the Mayo Clinic offered this advise:

As a general guide for exercise and illness, consider this:

Exercise is usually OK if your signs and symptoms are all “above the neck” — symptoms you may have with a common cold, such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or minor sore throat. Consider reducing the intensity and length of your workout, though, or you may feel worse. Instead of going for a run, take a walk, for example.
Don’t exercise if your signs and symptoms are “below the neck” — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach.
Don’t exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.

That seemed like a good commonsense approach and is certainly in line with how I’ve been feeling — way too yucky the first part of the week, and able to do a little something by last night.

Getting “back”

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Getting “back”

I worked out hard on Saturday — giving it my all so to speak through my sweet 16. I even got Len laughing when he asked me if I’d eaten my Wheaties! Mostly it felt great to sweat and to realize that my stamina was such that I could start to maintain speed — not to say that I was rabbiting through all 16 rounds, but the four with Len felt right except perhaps for the last part of the fourth round when I could feel myself flagging.

Back on the double-ended bag after coasting a round I did forge through with speed again — all of which is allowing me to officially proclaim to myself that my goal of gaining some conditioning is finally being met!

For a 50-something out of shape person, knowing that one can get pretty much “back” to conditioning at the six months mark of training is excellent. I can actually throw myself into a jog without dying and when it comes to gym time finally finding some speed is a truly remarkable feeling. Len even had a little bit of a wince when I threw a left jab at his body followed by the right to the pad — and not that I’m necessarily evil or anything, but that little tiny push back made me feel like a million bucks.

On top of all of this, I finally had a diagnosis for the coughing! It runs out its something called Laryngopharyngeal Reflux or LPR. Often called the “silent” reflux, symptoms and signs include coughing, thick mucous at the back of the throat, “postnasal” drip, throat irritations/throat clearing and even sore throats that seem to resolved after a day or two.

The mechanical action is the acid from the stomach backs into the esophagus through the upper esophageal sphincter. For people who suffer from heartburn, the acid hangs around in the esophagus, however, with LPR the acid actually backs up into the voice box and the back of the throat. Hence the symptoms!

I went in for a scope of my nasal passages and throat and low and behold, what we found was an enlarged larynx that showed evidence of having had LPR for some time. In speaking with the doctor, he told me that patients do indeed experience breathing problems upon exertion — and that is one of the reasons patients seek medical attention.

As for treatment — the primary one is a change in diet with several huge no-no’s:

caffeine, cola beverages, citrus beverages and mints, alcoholic beverages, particularly at night, cheese, fried foods, eggs and chocolate.
no eating a minimum of three hours prior to bedtime — and no large meals at night.
a primary diet of green veggies and non-acid forming fruits (60%)
weight loss.

I’m also being put on something call a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) — a class of medications that essentially prevents the stomach from forming acids.

I still have a few more tests to undergo to rule out a few things, but figure the diagnosis is pretty solid — now it’s just up to me to give up coffee, tea and chocolate 😦 while noting that a mostly veggie diet will certain aid in my weightloss campaign.

For more information on LPR, here are a couple of sites.

Wednesday already!

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Wednesday already!

In a worker-bee world of Monday to Friday, Wednesday aka hump day has become a cliched ritual of the elevator and the water cooler. “Only two more to go” or “made it to the middle” are typical phrases. Given that this is a short week (what with July 4th and all) hump day takes on the additional meaning of having already arrived without the usual effort of Monday.

If your week also includes the rituals of the gym — losing Monday (many gyms were closed) might make Wednesday extra special as you head on out and over at some time before or after work to unfurl your muscles in the repetitive ritual of pushing and pulling.

I know for me, I look forward to my Wednesdays when I can whale like crazy on the double-ended bag and the heavybag in no particular order. Those rounds without a trainer have become as important to me as the rounds I spend with Len.

With the added nuance of summer, there is nothing greater than the buckets of sweat that come pouring off — or the joy of walking out into a sultry evening, the light still early evening bright with the hints of the setting sun to come.

If you happen to call Gleason’s Gym your own, you have the added possibility of strolling down to the water, with the Brooklyn Bridge majestically in your sights, fresh ice cream for your reward and about the loveliest walk possible along with the waterfront, the tip of Manhattan gracing your eyes.

Life truly is good!

Call me Boxer!

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Call me Boxer!

As with the practice of any sport — one has good days, bad days and those merely tolerable days. Then there are the months (or years) off to contend with before hauling you heiny back to the gym, the running track or the yoga studio to begin again.

My sojourn back into the boxing world began last October with a few forays before starting my weekly workouts at the beginning of the year. Those Saturday’s with Lennox Blackmore have now stretched into one to two more gym days on my own each week, plus my occasional shadow boxing turns around the living room, and those silly flurries I throw walking down the street or in the elevator when I think no one’s watching me (wrong of course because they *all* have cameras!).

It’s gotten to the point where my daughter won’t walk down the street with me if I so much as twitch my left arm towards a surreptitious hook, not to mention the silly skip shuffle (you know the one — the side-to-side shuffle before dipping down to the right to throw an uppercut).

Okay, I guess you get the point. I’ve got boxing on the mind, the body — and it seems the soul these days.

Meanwhile, back at the scratchy mirror at Gleason’s, I must admit (with some difficulty) that the body facing back at me as I throw my left-left-right-left combo take a shuffle and throw a right upper cut-right-left combo, well, doesn’t exactly fit my image of a boxer. I mean, geez, I’m what you call a geriatric boxer, okay a geriatric boxer who sweats a lot, and works her butt off into a frenzy of red-faced, sweat-pouring action, but still, I can’t quite see the cuts in those muscles that I *know* are there. (Kind of like my stealth six-pack.) Nor does my body quite move with the economy and swiftness of the young one’s who box alongside me throwing three punches for every one of mine. I mean really — do they have to be *that* fast.

I guess I’m on this tear because I’ve gone to get my breathing and coughing problem sorted out. (More later.) As I described my problem to the Pulmonary specialist, it was that little, “you do what?” moment that kind of got to me. “YES, I box,” I said, perhaps a bit forcefully when he opined that I didn’t exactly *look* like a boxer.

Well, yeah, okay… I’m a geriatric superwelterweight with middleweight tendencies of late, I thought to say … so what. I know in my heart of hearts I’m a boxer. Got it!

Suffice to say, I was less than happy when he seemed to impune my boxing creds or the fact that I have a normal 16-round workout these days that leaves me still standing, albeit in a pool of water.

He did, however, redeem himself, when after the pulmonary function test — as I sat coughing my lungs out — he said, “wow, you really do have a problem. Does this happen every time you box?” And to my affirmative answer he said, (as my heart began to flutter), “This is terrible. I know how much boxing means to you, we have got to get you sorted out.”

Well. Here I am to say, yep, I *am* a boxer (my very nice Pulmonologist agrees too) even if my silhouette these days is not exactly as svelte as I once was, or “cut” in the ordinary way of a boxer’s body.

As for the breathing/coughing problem — the great news is it’s not exercise induced asthma. The surprising news is that it may be related to a reflux problem in the esophagus (who knew) or due to a weird malformation in the vocal chords. I’ll be going to a cough specialist to get some more tests (this is New York, after all) and otherwise am learning to work through the problem as I box so that I can keep going.

One year on…

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One year on…

The giant pinnacle game in the sky got a new player a year ago today. It was always my mother’s favorite game — and she’d have a twinkle in her eye whenever she’d talk about playing pinnacle with her uncles and aunts during her childhood in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

My hope is that she’s been playing the game, surrounded by all of her old kitties, every sock she ever lost neatly reunited in a dresser drawer, and otherwise hanging with her favorite relatives plus those members of her old gang of girls that have gone on to join the pinnacle table at the heaven club.

It was in my mother’s retelling of her old memories of Brighton Beach that my brother and I always saw her at her happiest.

As if in a slip stream of joyous abandon she’d say, “I swam from May to November,” while my brother and I tried to envision her as a young girl diving into the waves in late October sunshine on an “Indian” summer afternoon. She’d also tells us about how she and her gang hung out along the boardwalk, hit Steeplechase in Coney Island for what felt like a thousand times a season or played handball for hours on end. The lone photo I remember seeing of her of that time (the late 1940’s) shows a smiling face in a white shirt, rolled up dungarees and a pair of saddle shoes surrounded by four or five best friends.

She’d also talk about the music she’d listen to. She was never a Sinatra fan as that was the province of her older sister, so in those days her favorites where Frankie Lane and Mel Torme, but she also loved opera and would listen to the Metropolitan Opera on the radio with her mother on Saturday afternoons — a bond they shared across the years and a hot topic of conversation on their weekly Sunday calls.

As we enter summer again, I envision my mother as a young woman — the woman of my childhood. I like to think of her on the beach, the waves at her feet, the sun embracing her as she stares off kind of dreamily. If ever I asked her what was beyond that kind of gaze she’d tell me about all the places she wanted to go to — and while she never did get to many of them, perched up at her card table on a veranda, the sea close by, my hope is the view is just great with the world laid on in front her of like a giant canopy.

Missing boxing today

Must see TV: Frederick Wiseman’s “Boxing Gym” on PBS!

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Must see TV: Frederick Wiseman’s “Boxing Gym” on PBS!

The American documentary filmmaker, Frederick Wiseman’s latest film is called “Boxing Gym.” Released in 2010, the film presents an unfettered look at Lord’s Gym in Austin, Texas.

The gym is owned and operated by Richard Lord, a former professional boxer who opened the gym over 16 years ago. It accommodates a cross-section of boxers: young and old, men and women, plus an array of kids, all of whom come to the gym for reasons running from fitness on through training for amateur and professional fights!

The film is a loving portrayal of what many of us think of as our home away from home where camaraderie, focus and hard work are our daily diet, not to mention a dream or two.

PBS will be airing the film in its entirety @ 9:00 PM on Thursday, June 16th (Eastern Standard Time). Check local listings for an exact time if you are out of the New York City Area.

For further information on Lord’s Gym click the link here.

For a link to a nice piece on the film click here.

Of villages, gyms and dojos

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Of villages, boxing gyms and dojos

My daughter successfully tested for her next level in Aikido yesterday wowing us all with her prowess, strength, sweet laughter and compassion.

Compassion is perhaps a strange way of describing acts of tossing her “Ukais” from one side of the dojo to the other — but was just that as she worried her way through this person’s hurt back and that person’s smaller stature all while performing the complicated forms she has come to master with such grace.

It got me to thinking that my daughter’s art — as it has become since she donned her first Gi at the age of 5 turning 6 — is so many parts herself, but also many parts her Aikido teachers who have patiently, and sometimes not so patiently, taught her the large and small points of placing her body in this or that posture.

The more important lessons though have had to do with taking responsibility for herself and for how she comports herself through the rituals of the culture of Aikido. Along the way she is finding moments of body-mind union — where she loses her self-consciousness to act in a kind of unison. This last is the hardest, and yet as I watched her yesterday, I knew that she was well on her way.

It got me to thinking that her dojo has become her village filled with all the nuances of a community each playing a part in helping her to grow into a young woman. It also got me to thinking that boxing gyms seem to have that same effect on young people. They learn an art — essentially an art of violence, and yet what they learn is not violent at all. What one sees is an inculcation of gentleness, sure not all the time, but the intimacy of learning those arts does give rise to the village life for those kids — seen scampering around, their heads jostled as they imbibe the skills of honing the body and the mind into a kind of harmony.

And its not just kids. Adults can find that subtle part of village life too. A community within a community where you work your butt off — and afterwards just hang around for a while to chit-chat with your friends and cheer on others as they put in the work too.

Now we’re talking, Main Event on Telefutura! Holly Holm v. Victoria Cisneros!

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Now we’re talking, Main Event on Telefutura! Holly Holm v. Victoria Cisneros!

>>>UPDATE! HOLM TAKES IT

Holly Holm (L) defeated a game Victoria Cisneros in the "Solo Boxeo Tecate" Main Event broadcast on Telefutura on 6/10/11. Photo: Pat Vazquez-Cunningham/Journal

After an exciting 10-round competitive bout Holly Holm improved her record to 30-1-3 with an impressive win over Victoria Cisneros. Holm won by unanimous decision with all three judges rightly scoring the bout 100-90.

In the audience watching the fight was none other than French fighter Anne Sophie Mathis (23-1-0, 20 KOs). Promoter Lenny Fresquez, also announced a long anticipated Holm-Mathis battle scheduled for December 2, 2011!

Victoria Cisneros (L) and Holly Holm, Photo: Chris Cozzone

In an ask and you shall receive moment … the “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” card will be broadcast tonight, June 10th on Telefutura featuring the “Duke City” rematch of Holly Holm v. Victoria Cisneros.

Holly Holm v. Victoria Cisneros, 2009

Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (29-1-3, 9 KOs) will be fighting Victoria “La Reina” Cisneros (5-11-2, 1KO) in the 10-round main event rematch promoted by Fresquez Promotions at Legends Theater, Route 66 Casino, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cisneros is a late replacement for the Holm’s original challenger, Cindy Serrano who suffered a fractured nose during training. Other promoters for the Solo Boxeo fight card are Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin Promotions.

Cisneros had been a very late stand-in in their first meeting, filling in for Melissa Hernandez who pulled out of the fight at the last minute due to a dispute with Holly Holm over Holly’s hand wraps — Hernandez’s camp had not observed Holm’s hands being wrapped and while Holm offered to have them rewrapped, Hernandez pulled out of the fight.

As part of the promotion for the main event bout, if you’re local to New Mexico, you can vote for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.

The other woman’s bout on card Brandi Montaya (0-1) also saw her opponent bow out and is waiting to see if she will have a replacement.

The full card roster with the weigh-ins is as follows:

Holly Holm 141.5 vs. Victoria Cisneros 137
Joaquin Zamora 158.5 vs. Elco Garcia 158.5
Fidel Maldonado 136 vs. Eddie Ramirez 137
David Proa 126.5 vs. Willie Villanueva 127.5
Marc Selser 140.5 vs. Joel Vargas 145
Martin Gonzales 136.5 vs. Antonio Garcia 136
Brandi Montoya 110 vs. TBA

Working out in the heat!

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Working out in the heat!

We’re talking 95 degrees fahrenheit today people and 98 tomorrow … in New York City! That means summer is full on upon us and time to think about working out in the heat.

Personally, I love working out when it’s hot. My muscles have an instant lube job and after a while the cascading sweat is like a cooling shower! There are, however, some good tips to keep in mind, especially as the humidity begins to rise along with the questionable stuff in the air.

1. You’ve probably guessed this one! Drink PLENTY of fluids, not so much that you’ll drown, but as a constant flow so that you keep hydrated. You should also avoid caffeinated drinks and remember to drink some water 15 or so minutes BEFORE you get started.

2. Don’t forget you need to eat in the heat! They don’t have to be huge meals, but small little tastings will more than suffice — especially salads and fruits. They’re delicious, nutritious and will help keep you hydrated.

3. Realize that if the humidity is high, you are that much more susceptible to suffering from overheating and other symptoms of heat stress such as nausea, light headedness, dizziness and so on. That means you need to drink even more, and recognize your own limitations — before you get started. So don’t plan a 5 mile run in the middle of the heat of the afternoon if you’re not used to running in the heat! You could well end up with heat prostration in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge!

4. Get acclimated to the heat before full-on exercising. At Gleason’s Gym, while there are exhaust fans and overhead fans that keep it fairly cool (no A/C — its a boxing gym!), it still gets pretty hot on 90 degree + days. Given that we’ve not had a lot of warm days in the gym, it’s likely a good idea to take it slower than normal to get your body used to performing in the heat and humidity. A couple of weeks ago we had a pretty hot day — and my problem was the air quality. Between the high ozone and the pollen I found I actually had to stop a few rounds earlier than planned — so be flexible, and know your body.

One trick is wearing a wet sweat band and throwing water on your head between rounds — I find that helps me a lot.

5. Be careful not to get caught in extreme temperature changes. If you’re planning a run and you’re coming out of your really c-o-l-d apartment into the heat, take a few minutes to get used to it. Conversely, if you’re in the high heat and hit a frozen gym — do the reverse. Acclimatize before hitting full on into a workout.

6. Wear sunscreen, replace your electrolytes and S-T-O-P immediately if you’re feeling any of the following: dizziness, nauseous, shortness of breath. You’re going to want to cool down and remember it’s okay to seek medical attention if you really need help.

Enjoy the heat!

Why I’m a Christy Martin Fan!

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Why I’m a Christy Martin Fan!

>>>>UPDATE (Video Highlights below)

I watched the Christy Martin – Dakota Stone fight last night*.

Christy put on a F I E R C E performance, matching the much younger Dakota Stone and then some, not to mention putting her down on the canvas for an eight-count with a classic Left-Right combination that was letter perfect.

By now you likely know that Christy broke her right hand during the 4th round — and proceeded to fight much of the 5th round with her left — only to have the fight stopped in the 6th and final round after throwing the right hand once too often and absorbing some punishment as well putting her into a world of hurt.

At that point, the Ringside doctor called the Ref over who stopped the fight giving Dakota Stone the TKO and the win. The shame of it was Christy was ahead on all three cards and would have won the battle.

What really wowed me was Christy’s TRUE warrior spirit.

She came out swinging and never stopped even as she took some punches in the 3rd round that clearly rocked her a bit. She also worked combinations through out, throwing jab-jab-rights and mixing them up with body blows, upper-cuts, overhand rights and more jabs.

There are a lot of younger, slicker boy-boxers that could learn a thing or two or three from Martin’s performance, not the least of which is old-school true grit.

I applaud Christy’s tenacity and spirit — even as I hand it to Dakota for garnering the win.

Whatever happens to Christy next, she can count this girlboxer as a friend and a fan for life — ’cause let me tell you, she earned it.

* I could only watch the first four rounds and the beginning of the fifth before the webcast signal died (subject for another night I think — Why aren’t women’s bouts being broadcast on television?!?!?).

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