Page 150 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up

Chapter Twelve

SPARRING WITH AL
3-12-98: Lesson #57
After a lukewarm bag session,Alan and I spar for the first time in
weeks.We go three rounds doing jabs only and it feels pretty good.
Moving my head well. Al hits me a couple of times but misses a lot
too. He’s impressed. I’m a little rusty during the first round and
throw two blind punches, but that’s the worst of it. Of course, I
don’t score much, but I do tag his midsection a few times.The pos-
itive is my gaining composure after a wobbly start and boxing with
some poise. I feel confident, less intimidated. This probably from
moving well (I can’t hit you but you can’t hit me either!). A very
good session and fun. I think I need to spar more. The learning is
fast and hard. I think I’m ready for it.

Bag work is important but I’d rather do most of that as homework.
Maybe go over new things and work it out on my own. New stuff
includes combining blocks, slips and ducks with the standard fare
of punches. I’m lousy at it. I need to develop imagination. I throw a
jab, my imaginary opponent slips and counters with a right, I block
and roll, counter with a right and a hook, etc. I find myself slopping
through the motions when Al tells me to do all this. I guess I’m
fighting the concept a little. Like it’s too boring or something. But I
know I must overcome it because that’s how it’s done when you’re
on your own.
Are you After class, two older ladies come in and ask
if we “barbarians” are finished. We laugh
barbarians (they’re just fooling around) and say sure.
One of them asks what we’d do if one of us
finished? decked the other. I say I’ve been there and I
would shake it off. No problem (right!). Al
says he’d just smile, which could very well be true, but then what
are the chances of me decking Al in the near future (or ever)?
However, I do point out that Al is soaked (true) from the effort of
going three rounds with me which indicates the seriousness he
takes our bouts.
HERO
3-24-98: Lesson #60:
We go over footwork technique on the pillar and with the mitts,but
the real news today concerns one of my young sparring partners,
Ryan. Alan tells me that he got into a fight at school. A bully picked
a fight with him in front of half the student body and Ryan kicked

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