Page 121 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up

Journal

I’m feeling throwing a right hand. With your weight
transferring from right to left leg, bend your
totally left arm at the elbow, lift the elbow up and
out (here’s where they get the hook) and
drained of pivot everything around. I’m thinking it’s
sorta like a swinging gate. The gate is your
the heeby- left arm, shoulder and torso --- all in a single
piece --- pivoting with the left foot. It’s very
jeebs I difficult to coordinate and after a few
came in attempts, Al tells me to give it a rest. He says
it’s the most difficult punch to learn and you
with. Beat can’t expect to get it down right away.

the bag, He does show me the drill to use with the
hook and it’s a drill I’ve seen boxers do a lot.
beat the Throw the straight right, then throw the
hook.Right-left,right-left,right-left and so on.
blues. It’s a powerful combination of punches that
Yeah! I’ve seen over and over again during boxing
matches, yet until now, never really under-
stood.

We close the session by going over all the punches I can throw in
reps of ten: jabs, straight rights and one-two combinations.Walking
out of the gym and to the van I’m feeling totally drained of the
heeby-jeebs I came in with. Beat the bag, beat the blues.Yeah!

EATING PUNCHES 8-7-97: Lesson #5
I wrap my own hands today. As usual I start with some stepping
drills in all four directions. Starting with three each way, then two,
then one. I jab with each step and finish with a right.

The problems I have remembering steps and form (along with
everything else!) are continuous and amusing, at least to me.Al is
always ready to laugh, too, but I don’t think he sees my boxing
lessons from the same point of whimsey that I often do (Hey! Lookit
me! I’m learning how to box!) Sometimes I have to laugh out loud.
I guess I’m simply enjoying myself.

We put on my gloves and Al puts on his hand pads to work on a new
sequence where I throw jab, right, hook and then duck under his

120