Page 132 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up

Chapter Twelve

tice punches with his mitts. He’s the one pulling his punches. Not
the students.We get into it and it’s bombs away because we forget
everything in the melee.

Did I say that this was a lot of fun? I’m ordering headgear and spar-
ring gloves this week because the gloves we used today are really
for bags only. Sparring gloves are more heavily padded.

HEY BIG BOY 10-30-97: Lesson #24
As before, three or four rounds on the pillar, then the mitts. My jab
is better today. Stronger. Keeping the elbows in, throwing straight
out from the chin and recovering sharply. Did OK with the mitts.
Reaction time much better than last session.

Had something of an audience today.One of the people who works
at the gym came into our room a coupla times to fetch equipment.
Although she was pretty much dashing in and out, she made a very
generous comment about my performance on her second trip.
You’re really good! Did you know that? Al and I are working the
mitts and we both just stop dead.Well you are, she says.Does he tell
you that? Come on, Alan, tell him he’s good.

Of course, this sounds real good to me because I’ve been thinking
how bad I am (dropping my right, confusing punches, etc.) and
though Al has never said I stink, he has never said I’m very good
either. So to hear a compliment of this magnitude is not only
encouraging, it’s downright stunning.

Al is taken aback and I can tell he wants to ignore her interference,
but since that would be impossible (she’s waiting for an answer),he
says all right, you’re good and she prances out of the room. I laugh
and say she wrecked the entire coaching scenario, didn’t she? Al
says yeah, and now I’ve got to deal with your big head. It’s all very
amusing because after all, what does she know. But damn I feel
good!

Looking good! she says. I must be stylin!

Another person comes in to watch, and although he doesn’t insist
that Al compliment my performance,I feel I’m finishing our session
strongly and probably looking OK out there. Then I think that Al

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