Week 6

Despite still having a head like a flu-sponge I turned up to find that I was the only one there this week. Jason got me to shadow box in front of the mirror - carrying on from our session the previous week and I promptly demonstrated that I had forgotten everything he told me. For the record, and hopefully so I remember next time:

- don't lean forward or stand to square on as my balance is completely off and I can be toppled like an old tree
- keep off flat feet and on the toes at all times
- keep my hands up in front my face, step jab, step jab, jab -right, left hook, right hook, uppercut uppercut etc. keeping light on my feet
- punch and jab from cheekbone level. This is easy to remember, but as you get tired you really believe you are doing it right but your hands are down by your shoulders, head exposed...

I felt guilty for not having praticed since Thursday and just as I was starting to feel self concious about my wooden style the other Nick turned up, doubling the size of the training session. Nick is a short, shaven headed man covered in tattoos who mean looks belie a nice guy underneath who is willing to help me along with my style and said this week he wouldn't hit me too hard.

We alternated three rounds bag work and three rounds in the ring with Jason throwing jabs that I had to block and step around the ring, keeping my distance, again letting my hands drop leaving my head vulnerable. My stance was too wide and my steps too big making me clumsy and slow but I corrected this and suddenly felt lighter and more agile. There are two people in the ring - the fighter and the boxer. The figher dominates the middle of the ring and the boxer moves around the edge, forwards and backwards. I am always the boxer and must learn to use my height and reach advantage to maintain a distance out of range and have momentum when I step in and punch.

Next came my first experince of sparring. Nick put in his gumshield and moved to the centre of the ring. I don't have a gumshield and my 10Oz gloves that came free with the bag I bought from JJB sports are to thin for sparring so I'll have to put that right by next time.We were to do three 1.5 minute rounds, scoring (theoretical) points if any of our punches got through. Again I was the boxer and it felt amazing compared to skills practics. The heightened feeling of the both of us being on a hair-trigger gave rise to a clarity and focus in the mind where the world outside the ring does not exist. If I fainted a jab by twitching my shoulder or stepping in and out would send my opponent into a defensive block. Suddenly I could see how everything I had learned so far needed to be called upon almost simultaneously - hands up protecting my head, keep light footed, move around the fighter, block his jabs or lean out the way, step in and back...

Well that is me recalling what I should have done, writing about it afterwards on a train en route to York. In reality I forgot to block half the time, delivered a jab to Nick's head which he blocked but then didn't move back for an age, leaving my lower body open to a punch - which was pretty easy since he was a head shorter than me. Good thing that he'd agreed to go easy this time. I mentioned to Nick afterwards that I couldn't see how it was possible to deliver a jab when he could duck it and despatch a body blow while I was in range, but he said he always gets hit because his more experienced opponents deliver a shot over the top while he is ducking down. I'll have to remember that.

The third round was hard work - my sinuses decided to evacuate their evil contents onto my shirt, sweat was pouring off me and my arms were too tired to keep my hands up. I knew this, and Jason was shouting at me from the side of the ring to keep them up too which distracted me and frustrated me quite a lot. Nick was more or less choosing when to hit me and I my blocks were uncoordinated thrashes of my arms. I wasn't best pleased with my performance, but it did give me an insight into just how much there was to learn, how much there is to think about, and how important strength and stamina are to getting anywhere close to going the distance.

Jason said that he'd spoken to another club in Cardiff and got some plans for an exhibition fight in August. That gives me just over 5 months to get into condition and practice. I don't think I've ever even contemplated doing 5 months preparation for something that will last (I hope) four and a half minutes!

We both stepped out of the ring and Jason informed us it was fitness time. Feeling like I'd already burned off more calories than I'd ingested all week, we moved over to the weights area to do alternate kettle bell raises followed by 15 pressups - repeated three times.

I got home feeling weak as a robin and was fast asleep in bed by 9:30.