Training Log and Observations– Boxer, Me
Monday: Workout at St. Catharines Amateur Boxing Club
Tuesday: Workout at St. Catharines Amateur Boxing Club
Wednesday: “MUSHIN” with Wayne
Thursday: DAY OFF
Friday: DAY OFF
Saturday: Coop d’Kill Workout
Sunday: 5 km run, Abs and Push-Ups
A lot happened this week; in and out of the gym. All of this activity came close to sending this aspiring amateur boxer into a tailspin. This probably comes as no surprise to most of you. As my friend Grant would say, only someone like me could take a concept of Mushin (aka no mind) and over-think it.
Thankfully, my “over-thinking” brings me to a position in which I learn something about being a boxer and how occupying that role impacts me as an individual. (Grant, are you feeling like you want to shake the Mushin into me?!)
Here’s what I learnt this week:
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boxer |
me |
| To be effective in the ring, you need to be three-dimensional and work all of the angles.Wayne is trying to help me move away from moving just forwards and backwards; I also need to work side-to-side. Angles… It’s the angles that really have me beat. I’ve never been able to see them. As a boxer, I need to see all of the angles and use them as opportunities to punish my opponent. | To be “effective” in life, you need to be three dimensional-your body, mind and spirit….and work all of the angles…That has such a negative connotation.“To know all the angles is to know all the tricks of dealing with someone or something.” |
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Will I able to put aside my personal biases towards “knowing the angles”, and not only know them, but work them to be able to strike my opponent? |
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Yes, damn straight! If someone is trying to hit me, I will work every angle possible to duck, weave and strike the fuck back. |
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boxer |
me |
| To be effective in the ring, you need to be aggressive, really aggressive.Wayne had me shadow box for the first ten minutes of our session this week. It was then that we talked about aggressiveness. Wayne needs to see that come out in me and shadow boxing is the first place for “it”, as Wayne called it, the green devil, to come out. Here, as I move against my imaginary opponent in the ring, I can bring it out and try it on for size. I’m getting there slowly and this scares me. If the green devil isn’t showing up when I shadow box, how will it ever make an appearance when I spar and eventually fight? | To be “effective” in life, you need to be assertive, but not aggressive.Here’s some irony for you, being aggressive goes totally against what I’m trying to achieve as a loving, compassionate and contributing member of this crazy place I call home. |
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Will I be able to reconcile the MOs of the boxer to that of mine as an individual? |
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I hope so… |
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Before I totally drive Grant nuts, I’ll stop here. Even a chronic over-thinker like myself has limits…and to be honest, I’m tired of writing. Mind you, if you were here with me now, I’d probably talk until your ears bled.
On a lighter note, I had a hell of a run today. It was my first run back after a month hiatus. It was great, but it hurt like a motherfucker. The only thing that got me through the last 1 km was listening to Jay-Z’s Dirt off Your Shoulder. It helped with the run as well as with today’s the residual blues from the Duke situation.
Dirt off Your Shoulder
You’re now tuned into the muh’fuckin greatest
Turn the music up in the headphones
Tim, you can go and brush your shoulder off
I got you, yeah
If you feelin like a pimp, go and brush your shoulders off
Ladies is pimps too, go and brush your shoulders off
Crazy baby, don’t forget that boy told you
Get, that, dirt off your shoulder
thelawofdharma 