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Note: This happened at my gym not long ago...and this kind of thing happens in gyms all over the world on a regular basis....
"Today there was yet another instance where a guy got shown that boxing is no easy road. A twenty-one year old guy came in to check out the sparring and started talking about how he wanted to get in there because "I got hands in the street. I wanna' get in there and see what I can do." I proceeded to tell him that it would take longer to glove him up than it would for him to decide he wanted to stop the sparring. He took offense to that. Got a little testy with me while speaking highly of his own skills "in the streets.'"
So I say "OK, let's put you in then."
I pointed at a twenty year kid named Craig that used to fool around in the gym and spar once in a while. One year ago Craig was just like this kid, believing he could do something in the ring even though he had no experience. One sparring session with me made him realize his ignorance to the reality of it all. I told him tonight "This kid here is just like you were when you first came in here. Show him what time it is." So they glove up and everybody crowds around the ring to watch. I already know exactly what is about to happen. The kid comes out and tries to hit Craig like he would in a street fight. His feeble attempt at a punch hits the air more than a foot away from it's intended target. Craig keeps his hands up and follows my instructions to land a right hand to the body. The kid doesn't like that too much, his expression tells me that. As each second tics by he shows even less enthusiasm than he did in the previous second. Finally Craig lands a solid right hand to the face that makes a loud noise. The guy is stung but his pride won't let him fall or quit from the one blow. The second blow, however, "stripped him of whatever heart, courage and desire he thought he had."
The second right hand lands directly on his left eye and the guy turns away in pain and heads towards the ropes. He rests his head face down into his gloves and I head over to check him out. We talk for a second and it is clear to me that this man has been humbled. I tell him I am stopping the sparring and he mutters something about how "Craig ain't all that." So I offer to let him "Keep sparring then." Craig apparently was more than what this guy wanted us to believe as he immediately declined my offer. The whole ordeal, from the ring of the bell to the moment he turned away in pain, lasted no more than thirty seconds. Many seconds shy of the time it took to wrap his hands, lace his gloves and strap on his headgear. Just like always.)"
"Today there was yet another instance where a guy got shown that boxing is no easy road. A twenty-one year old guy came in to check out the sparring and started talking about how he wanted to get in there because "I got hands in the street. I wanna' get in there and see what I can do." I proceeded to tell him that it would take longer to glove him up than it would for him to decide he wanted to stop the sparring. He took offense to that. Got a little testy with me while speaking highly of his own skills "in the streets.'"
So I say "OK, let's put you in then."
I pointed at a twenty year kid named Craig that used to fool around in the gym and spar once in a while. One year ago Craig was just like this kid, believing he could do something in the ring even though he had no experience. One sparring session with me made him realize his ignorance to the reality of it all. I told him tonight "This kid here is just like you were when you first came in here. Show him what time it is." So they glove up and everybody crowds around the ring to watch. I already know exactly what is about to happen. The kid comes out and tries to hit Craig like he would in a street fight. His feeble attempt at a punch hits the air more than a foot away from it's intended target. Craig keeps his hands up and follows my instructions to land a right hand to the body. The kid doesn't like that too much, his expression tells me that. As each second tics by he shows even less enthusiasm than he did in the previous second. Finally Craig lands a solid right hand to the face that makes a loud noise. The guy is stung but his pride won't let him fall or quit from the one blow. The second blow, however, "stripped him of whatever heart, courage and desire he thought he had."
The second right hand lands directly on his left eye and the guy turns away in pain and heads towards the ropes. He rests his head face down into his gloves and I head over to check him out. We talk for a second and it is clear to me that this man has been humbled. I tell him I am stopping the sparring and he mutters something about how "Craig ain't all that." So I offer to let him "Keep sparring then." Craig apparently was more than what this guy wanted us to believe as he immediately declined my offer. The whole ordeal, from the ring of the bell to the moment he turned away in pain, lasted no more than thirty seconds. Many seconds shy of the time it took to wrap his hands, lace his gloves and strap on his headgear. Just like always.)"
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