To All Who Have Entered the Square Circle

[The Coagulator]

This past weekend I had the honor of lacing up the gloves for the first time ever and went 2 sparring rounds with a professional boxer. Needless to say, I got my ass handed to me. It was amazing. I have been watching fights as a fan all my life. I have been watching fights for the past 5 years or so as a student. I am able to recognize the things that I learn from the gym, standing outside the ropes, with the boxers I watch on T.V. But what I didnt realize is that I DONT HAVE A CLUE as to what it takes and what it is to be a prizefighter. I got in the ring and I immediately became very fearfull. I thought to myself...OK Rod, since he is a southpaw, keep your lead foot to the outside of his and catch his jabs and throw your own. Move your head and watch out for his straight left hands. Because he is a pro, (and his sparring partner didnt make it) I thought that the best thing I can do to help him is to bring it all, be aggressive, try to land something early and make him work. SO the bell rings and I move forward and focus soley on keeping my lead foot outside his and started throwing jabs, a swing and a miss, a swing and a miss, a swing and a miss...moving around the ring I notice I am already winded (pack a day for 30 years). Jab and a miss, jab and a miss, jab and a miss. Before you know it, my left elbow is beginning to hurt from hyperextending my arm throwing my jab. I realize I may not even get throught he first round. (half the round is over and our pro hadnt thrown one punch and I am already out of gas). So, I think to myself...I cant even get in range with my jab, I know if I get in range he is going to lay it on me and I didnt want to be hit..I was very fearfull of being hit!!!! I was scared! This is a light heavy pro and I am a completely out of shape dad of 4 who eats anything he wants at anytime, Im 215 and 6 ft. So, instinct takes over and I say to myself, since you cant catch him with even a jab, trow a double jab, bring your feet with you and grab a hold of him and use your weight to push him up against the ropes and then start going to the body and maybe score some short shots. So I did it and it worked. I got him up against the ropes where I start throwing bombs to the body which none landed very well or with any power, and I threw a right and left uppercut which I found I wasnt so bad at.........then it came..... a straight left hand right on the belly botton....and he goes down in a heap....I realize that not only am I completely out of gas from doing almost nothing, and he just removed any life that I had left. Now please realize that this pro is my friend, he probably only hit me with 1/100 of what he's got and I was out!!!!! I gasped for air, gasped and gasped and gasped. All my people in the gym said come on get up suck it up, you can do it....the bell rings, round one is over and I am thankfull. Very thankfull. I started to wonder, why does 3 minutes inside the ropes seem like an eternity and the 1 minute between rounds feel like the speed of light..LOL....I come out for the second round and I started again to land a jab, keep my foot outside his, forgot that head movement was a very important thing, I have always known that head movement is very important but I was so worried about getting hit, throwing my jabs and trying to survive, head movement wasnt even on my mind. I throw a jab and before I could even get my hand back to my chin...bip...on the forehead, and that gave me an excellent look at the gyms lighting system, I didnt go down because he wasnt throwing them with any meat, but every time I would try to throw a jab in this round he made me miss and bip...right to the forehead...bip...bip....bip...then one of those bips was my nose...and then the round ended with me hanging on for dear life, gasping for air and wondering to myself "What the **** was I thinkin'? I learned so much in that short 6 minutes. I learned it takes courage to step in there, it takes massive discipline to get in fighting shape, it takes stamina, and knowledge, and self confidence, and skills. It takes a warrior. All the people at the gym got a great chuckle seeing an out of shape almost middle aged cutman trying to land shots against a ring savvy, pro southpaw. Everyone got a good laugh and I dont mind a bit. SO, to all of you, amatuer and pro alike, active or retired, I SALUTE YOU!!!! I respect you for your courage, your motivation, your WARRIOR HEART!!!! My hats off, and I have made the decision that it is best for me to stick to what I am good at, taking CARE of you warriors, so that you have the best shot possible of living your dreams and reaching all your goals inside The Square Circle...God Bless all fighters!!! Take care.

[PBDS]

....That's a great story. At least you got to experience a little bit of what it takes first hand. It will give you grater appreciation for what you do and what you see in the ring.

[The Coagulator]

For shizzel.....

....That's a great story. At least you got to experience a little bit of what it takes first hand. It will give you grater appreciation for what you do and what you see in the ring.

I am so sore today, not from being punched, but from punching. My left arm, bicept, tricept, traps, lats are killing me from missing my shots. Its amazing how alone I felt in there. I learned many lessons...lol....

[* FeistyWench *]

I am so sore today, not from being punched, but from punching. My left arm, bicept, tricept, traps, lats are killing me from missing my shots. Its amazing how alone I felt in there. I learned many lessons...lol....

imagine if you are that sore from that short amount of time, how those fighters feel after getting the 100% power punches after SEVERAL rounds

like pbds said, i am sure that it has given you a much greater appreciation and understanding of what they do.

[AJ53]

excellent post!!!
thanks for sharing the experience!!

[K-DOGG]

This past weekend I had the honor of lacing up the gloves for the first time ever and went 2 sparring rounds with a professional boxer. Needless to say, I got my ass handed to me. It was amazing. I have been watching fights as a fan all my life. I have been watching fights for the past 5 years or so as a student. I am able to recognize the things that I learn from the gym, standing outside the ropes, with the boxers I watch on T.V. But what I didnt realize is that I DONT HAVE A CLUE as to what it takes and what it is to be a prizefighter. I got in the ring and I immediately became very fearfull. I thought to myself...OK Rod, since he is a southpaw, keep your lead foot to the outside of his and catch his jabs and throw your own. Move your head and watch out for his straight left hands. Because he is a pro, (and his sparring partner didnt make it) I thought that the best thing I can do to help him is to bring it all, be aggressive, try to land something early and make him work. SO the bell rings and I move forward and focus soley on keeping my lead foot outside his and started throwing jabs, a swing and a miss, a swing and a miss, a swing and a miss...moving around the ring I notice I am already winded (pack a day for 30 years). Jab and a miss, jab and a miss, jab and a miss. Before you know it, my left elbow is beginning to hurt from hyperextending my arm throwing my jab. I realize I may not even get throught he first round. (half the round is over and our pro hadnt thrown one punch and I am already out of gas). So, I think to myself...I cant even get in range with my jab, I know if I get in range he is going to lay it on me and I didnt want to be hit..I was very fearfull of being hit!!!! I was scared! This is a light heavy pro and I am a completely out of shape dad of 4 who eats anything he wants at anytime, Im 215 and 6 ft. So, instinct takes over and I say to myself, since you cant catch him with even a jab, trow a double jab, bring your feet with you and grab a hold of him and use your weight to push him up against the ropes and then start going to the body and maybe score some short shots. So I did it and it worked. I got him up against the ropes where I start throwing bombs to the body which none landed very well or with any power, and I threw a right and left uppercut which I found I wasnt so bad at.........then it came..... a straight left hand right on the belly botton....and he goes down in a heap....I realize that not only am I completely out of gas from doing almost nothing, and he just removed any life that I had left. Now please realize that this pro is my friend, he probably only hit me with 1/100 of what he's got and I was out!!!!! I gasped for air, gasped and gasped and gasped. All my people in the gym said come on get up suck it up, you can do it....the bell rings, round one is over and I am thankfull. Very thankfull. I started to wonder, why does 3 minutes inside the ropes seem like an eternity and the 1 minute between rounds feel like the speed of light..LOL....I come out for the second round and I started again to land a jab, keep my foot outside his, forgot that head movement was a very important thing, I have always known that head movement is very important but I was so worried about getting hit, throwing my jabs and trying to survive, head movement wasnt even on my mind. I throw a jab and before I could even get my hand back to my chin...bip...on the forehead, and that gave me an excellent look at the gyms lighting system, I didnt go down because he wasnt throwing them with any meat, but every time I would try to throw a jab in this round he made me miss and bip...right to the forehead...bip...bip....bip...then one of those bips was my nose...and then the round ended with me hanging on for dear life, gasping for air and wondering to myself "What the **** was I thinkin'? I learned so much in that short 6 minutes. I learned it takes courage to step in there, it takes massive discipline to get in fighting shape, it takes stamina, and knowledge, and self confidence, and skills. It takes a warrior. All the people at the gym got a great chuckle seeing an out of shape almost middle aged cutman trying to land shots against a ring savvy, pro southpaw. Everyone got a good laugh and I dont mind a bit. SO, to all of you, amatuer and pro alike, active or retired, I SALUTE YOU!!!! I respect you for your courage, your motivation, your WARRIOR HEART!!!! My hats off, and I have made the decision that it is best for me to stick to what I am good at, taking CARE of you warriors, so that you have the best shot possible of living your dreams and reaching all your goals inside The Square Circle...God Bless all fighters!!! Take care.

Great story, bro!! Great story.

[Mike Tyson77]

Nice story.

[j]

thanks for sharing. it certainly is interesting when you get your first taste of what sparring or boxing a trained fighter is like. just remember, they all went through the same things too.

from your description, it sounds like you were thinking a bit too much. things like working positioning are best left for working drills.

i'm glad you took it as a learning situation. that's the best way to look at it.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

I have seen this same exact story play out dozens of times over the years in my gym... (not that you thought this), but guys come in the gym all the time and think they can box. They are tough, in good shape, they got hands in the street etc. Uusally we just let them spar, get tired and take them out. But for the particularly ****y ones we sometimes let them feel a little something to remember us by. ANYBODY who thinks they can come off the street with no experience and last in a ring is NOT thinking straight. The smart ones, like the coagulator, realize the truth and respect it

[j]

I have seen this same exact story play out dozens of times over the years in my gym... (not that you thought this), but guys come in the gym all the time and think they can box. They are tough, in good shape, they got hands in the street etc. Uusally we just let them spar, get tired and take them out. But for the particularly ****y ones we sometimes let them feel a little something to remember us by. ANYBODY who thinks they can come off the street with no experience and last in a ring is NOT thinking straight. The smart ones, like the coagulator, realize the truth and respect it

i second that. we get that in the martial arts world as well.