Steve's Boxing Progress Report No. 8: "There Will Be Blood"

A neck recovery bodering on the miraculous meant I sparred again on Saturday arvie. Clever is training 4 guys for Fight Night. "My soldiers" he calls us and we all spar together once a week. One of us bled for the first time on Saturday. Not me, which is always nice. A sharp left hook evaded both the big 16oz gloves we train with and the head guard to land flush on the one guy's nose. The punch wasn't thrown by me either in case you're thinking "nice one Steve"... I'm still manufacturing my left hook. Any way, it results in a bloody nose which Clever swiftly mops up. "Blood and sweat," says Clever without batting an eyelid. "If you want to box, you will always find those two in the ring."

We carry on sparring and the guy's nose continues to dribble a little blood. For the rest of the session you can smell the salty rust in the ring...

17 October

Steve's Boxing Progress Report No. 7: We can label this one "Sometimes You Just Can't Win"... or... "Feck, I'm Getting Old".
My lower back's been acting up lately. Once warmed up it's ok, but after training it gets stiff and sore. Each morning it takes about 15 minutes and at least two cups of tongue-curlingly strong coffee before I feel anything approaching limber. So yesterday morning I go off to Rob Beffa for some treatment. Rob's a chiropractor/physio/acupuncture person with very thick eyebrows and an amazing ability to put bones and muscles back where they should be. Some tweaks, pulls, cracks, and a few well-placed needles later and I can actually tie my shoelaces again. With this new found elasticity, at lunch time I go off to do a boxing class... and in the first 5 minutes pull a muscle in neck. I hold my head in my hands, not only in despair, but also because my neck muscles can no longer support it.
On the upside, I'm getting really good at that snotty-nose noise you're supposed to make every time you throw a punch.

14 October

Steve's Boxing Progress Report No.6: The Spar... more than a shop

I had my first full-on sparring session on Wednesday. I learned this: 1. Sparring for an hour is bladdy tiring. Even if it’s a “2 minutes, sparring, 4 minutes” rest vibe. 2. Big guys hit really, really hard. Little guys... not so much. I got hit really, really hard a few times by a big guy. 3. I had my first real doubts about this boxing thing. Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m 45 in a couple months…20 years older than most of these guys. 4. It still hurts when you wake up the next morning. 5. At today’s session with Clever I was the sharpest I’ve ever been.

30 September

Steve's Boxing Progress Report No.5: My kingdom for a hook

Last night I sparred with my trainer Clever. Actual boxing sparring as opposed to the verbal type I'm far more used. I learned this... my left hook is terrible. Not so much a hook as a friendly tap on the shoulder. My jab, however, is pretty good. Fast and accurate. A lot like my typing. My aerobic fitness is very good... my punching stamina not so much. I have a helluva lot still to learn.

22 September

Steve's Boxing Progress Report No.4: Boxing Clever

I'm now the proud owner of my own boxing protective head gear. I think it works. My trainer - his name is Clever - gave it a thorough test, repeatedly hitting me on the head during sparring. I only needed two Panados afterwards.

20 August