Page 133 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up
P. 133

Journal


                  You’re      must be pleased, too, since he’s the coach
                              and the man responsible for any progress
                    really    I’ve made.
             good, she        Later That Day: Oh, What a Pretty Groin
                              Protector!
                    says.     The rest of my sparring gear arrives: groin
                              protector,mouthpiece and gloves.My wife is
               Does he        the first to wear the stuff, however, as she
                 tell you     decides to be a boxer at the office
                              Halloween party. The groin apparatus with
                     that?    the big red, shiney cup is especially
                              becoming on her.
             Come on,
                               WW II, CLEAVAGE & NUTS
               Alan, tell     11-20-97: Lesson #29
                              As I tape up for class, the older gent comes
               him he’s       in to swing at the overhead bag. He’s the
                    good.     same guy who a few weeks ago used to hit
                              the bag, hang out, watch and make funny
                              comments.

           We talk a bit and he says he used to box in college and the Navy.He
           says he’s the old man around here. I’m thinking he’s 60-something,
           but he’s gonna be 75 this week. I say you don’t look 75 and mean
           it. He laughs and says yeah, I’d look 50 if I lost some weight and I
           believe it. He says women come on to him until they find out how
           old he is. Then he blurts hell, I was in World War Two! This stops
           us both because (wow!) that is rather extraordinary and a little sur-
           prising ... to both of us.

           Al comes in and we charge through another session. After the pillar
           pounding, we go to the mitts and work on footwork, slips and the
           1-2-3 combo.

           What’s different today is throwing punches while moving my feet.
           As we move back in a straight line, Al throws a right and then a left
           after my 1-2-3 that I must try to slip. Up until now I’ve been sta-
           tionary.This is difficult, moving the left foot with the left and the
           right foot with the right. I have a tendency to overstep and square
           off. But after a while I get the hang of it. Sorta.

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