I took a full week off after my fight …
Actually no I didn’t, that’s a lie.
I went back training the Thursday after, found my shoulders to be sore and rested until the following Tuesday.
My Catalogue of Injuries;
Muscle strain from my left ankle upward to my mid-shin on the external face of my calf.
Both shoulders feel “loose” in their sockets, as if the supporting muscles have been extended or stretched.
Strain in the elbows from extension.
Inflamed middle knuckle on my left hand. Suggested fracture to the knuckle.
evidence of nerve damage in my upper back - has not reoccurred.
None of these issues are serious. they are just the usual niggles from training hard and I can select exercises to repair most of them.
17.02.2015 am CONDITIONING
45 minute circuit. 12 stations.
This session was reasonable. I had difficulty with some certain exercises…
Namely; Hanging leg raises, Rotational swing, Jump Squats.
These exercises have been an issue for a while and are the result of some definite weaknesses in my physiology.
With no fight scheduled at the moment, I will take the opportunity to work on improving these areas.
17.02.2015 pm BOXING
I’ve become a regular at my girlfriend’s boxing club and have been coaching there as well as training myself.
I led the warm-up again yesterday evening and I did it my way;
1.0 Warmup
1.1 Joints & Muscles - Head to Toe, working all joints through their ROM
1.2 Dynamic Warmup - 6 sets of 30 seconds exercise, hitting major muscle groups, joints and the cardio system
1.3 Mobility - Bear Crawls, Inchworm, Cossack Squats, Squat Walks, Shoulder Flye, Renegade Row.
2.0 Technique Warmup; Movement
2.1 Movement - Maintaining perfect stance throughout movement in all ranges.
2.1.1 Advance / Retreat - 1 Minute, forward & back maintaining stance, guard & posture. Eyes Dead ahead.
2.1.2 Lateral - 1 Minute side to side, maintaining stance, guard and posture. Eyes dead ahead.
2.1.3 Circling - As there were a large number of younger boxers I made this into a game.
We all started as a close circle. I shouted change at random intervals to switch directions.
Those slow to react would bump into their nearest teammate and would be disqualified to the centre of the circle to do
situps. I like this and itw worked well. I also have a nice idea as to how I can expand on the idea.
3.0 Technique Warmup; Attack
3.1 Calling the Shots - One boxer in the middle, callas a combination e.g. 1-2-hook.
He/she repeats the combination 10 times, identifying each shot; 1, 2, 3.
Team mates shout “1,2,3…” on the completion of each combination as they emulate the combination themselves
Each combination is repeated 10 times with perfect form before passing on to the next team mate.
***I finished leading the session here and fell in as a dummy to demonstrate technique.
These are not my drills, butI really like some of the simple drills last night and I’ll try remember and share here.
-Slipping Drill
We partnered the boxers up and had Boxer 1 throw a left and then a right.
Boxer 2 first slipped the left, returned to centre and then slipped the right.
The objective was to separate individual slips and prevent slipping through the centreline.
The young boxer I worked with was slipping from the waist and I corrected his footwork, showing him how hard he could throw by doing
so. I guess this was his reward for defending correctly, so we’ll see if he does it correctly next session.
-Countering Drill
Boxer 1 engages attack with a Jab, Straight (1,2)
Boxer 2 responded with a right straight (2) which Boxer 1 slips outside.
Boxer 1 counters with a straight, left hook (2,3)
Boxer 2 responds with a jab (1) which Boxer 1 slips outside
Boxer 1 counters with a left hook, straight (3,2)
Boxer 2 responds with a hook which Boxer 1 evades with the step away.
From an offensive position the sequence is;
1, 2 /slip/ 2, hook /slip/ hook, straight / step away /
I was tasked with doing rounds of pads with the southpaws for this technique.
The first guy is a little special. He has natural talent, flair and clearly loves the sport, he will do well.
The second was a friend and light sparring partner. He has been on a lay off and it was great to see him back. He was very explosive.
The third was a complete raw novice, who reminds me of myself as a child. (That’s not a compliment.)
Socially awkward and not athletic at all, what he did have was that little bit of “Fuck You,” in him that made it my favourite round of the night.
My fourth was a nice local kid who is finally staring to progress. Boxing is not in their family but him and his brother are both training hard and trying their best.
I got caught then doing rounds of pads for all boxers. I enjoyed it and worked with some really nice kids.
My final round I returned to the guy who I started the session with.
He’s the most naturally talented in the bunch, but he doesn’t have the interest. He loves sparring and hurting the other kids, but does not work to better himself.
(This is about to spiral into a bizarre rant on my training philosophies, so by all means stop reading now…)
Coaching is something I enjoy. Like my own coaches were, I am autocratic but nurturing. I coach to help the boxer.
Work can be done for the boxer, only if the boxer is willing to work with you.
I used to enjoy my own coach cracking the whip - you are all alone for long enough in sparring and in fights, so its almost a comfort to have the thinking done for you in the gym.
It is a compliment to have a coach thinking for you and working through rounds with you on the pads.
So its almost an insult when you hold pads and you don’t even hear a snap on the pad - limp punches, not through lack of energy, but through the lack of conviction and ambition.
It’s like a soft handshake… disappointing and almost dismissive of the respectful greeting you have extended.
That’s all really…
One kid with natural ability, athleticism and no conviction.
and
One kid with no co-ordination, no talent and the hunger for more.
