Wednesday... just skill drills and fitness tonight with Rich and Ash. Excellent. A few posts ago I said I thought I was developing my own boxing style, but as frequently happens I feel I'm doing something ok and Jason says something that turns it all on its head.
Tonight he pointed out that I was still not relaxed, and moved around the ring in a way that makes getting in and out to deliver punches slower and leaves me in range of my opponent. So we did two whole rounds with me dancing around the ring, leading with my left foot. Lightfooted, on the toes, dancing - be like Ali he said. You need to be fit, but the difference is amazing. Just look at this famous video clip of Ali fighting Cleveland Williams below and you'll see what I mean...
Apparenly he was worried about damaging Williams and aimed for a KO by the 3rd round. The ref stopped the fight in the third round with a TKO.
April 17, 2008
April 15, 2008
Monday Night
A great workout today - me, Nick, Rich and Dave so the biggest group for a while. Apparently Jas told Dave to calm down last week and not be so frenzied in his attacks. This is good news for my ribs!
Straight into rounds of sparring, alternating with each person as an opponent. I felt slow and a bit uncoordinated but the other guys reckoned I'd come on a lot and was stronger. I guess I've thought alot about my tactics and watched a lot of videos since last training, so I knew what I wanted to do, but just became too puffed out to deliver. I did use for the first time in anger some hooks and uppercuts which give a very strong advantage as the opponent covers up and it is relatively easy to charge him into the ropes. Fitness is everything and had to be improved, but as was pointed out, if you are tense in the ring (which after all is a natural instinct!) you use a lot more energy just being there and are inclined to waste even more with untactical punching. There's more thinking in boxing than a game of chess..
I think I know why I receive so many head shots - because I'm the tallest of the group I hold my guard down by my chest and as a result it is easy to come in over the top. Yet another bruised nose is testament to this so Dave offered the tip of regularly touching the eyebrows during a fight so your hands are in a position ready to block. An accidental headbut by short Nick to my right hand chest almost completes my collection of aching ribs and I when I took my gloves off I notice my right thumb was swollen - probably again I wasn't thinking about making proper fists.
Straight into rounds of sparring, alternating with each person as an opponent. I felt slow and a bit uncoordinated but the other guys reckoned I'd come on a lot and was stronger. I guess I've thought alot about my tactics and watched a lot of videos since last training, so I knew what I wanted to do, but just became too puffed out to deliver. I did use for the first time in anger some hooks and uppercuts which give a very strong advantage as the opponent covers up and it is relatively easy to charge him into the ropes. Fitness is everything and had to be improved, but as was pointed out, if you are tense in the ring (which after all is a natural instinct!) you use a lot more energy just being there and are inclined to waste even more with untactical punching. There's more thinking in boxing than a game of chess..
I think I know why I receive so many head shots - because I'm the tallest of the group I hold my guard down by my chest and as a result it is easy to come in over the top. Yet another bruised nose is testament to this so Dave offered the tip of regularly touching the eyebrows during a fight so your hands are in a position ready to block. An accidental headbut by short Nick to my right hand chest almost completes my collection of aching ribs and I when I took my gloves off I notice my right thumb was swollen - probably again I wasn't thinking about making proper fists.
April 13, 2008
Calzaghe vs Hopkins - 6 days to go
Just finished reading Joe's autobiography which I think lives up to its reputation of one of the most down to earth sporting autobiogs out there.
He's in Vegas now training for his biggest fight on Saturday with Bernard Hopkins and I found some nice pics on flickr (see here)
He's in Vegas now training for his biggest fight on Saturday with Bernard Hopkins and I found some nice pics on flickr (see here)
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