BOXING STARS

While watching the Mayweather-Hatton fight recently it was fun to watch once again the constellation of famous folks that congregate to a bigh fight. Unlike any other event a big boxing match can still create an unparalleled level of excitement in the world of the rich and famous. It started most notably in the Roaring 20's with the reign of Jack Dempsey, when Hollywood caught the bug. Through the decades the fascination grew and in 1971 we saw perhaps the greatest show of glam, glitz and glamour at a fight when Frazier and Ali met in "The Fight of the Century".

The allure remains with the added factor that now many of those stars also partake of the sport or at least its training methods. Many current actors have used boxing training as a way of getting ready for a role and some like Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington and Daniel Day Lewis have undergone tremendously rigorous training to portray boxers on the big screen.

The point of this all is just to illustrate that throughtout the years, despite the many cries for the abolition of the sport or the pundits who wish to continue to segregate the sport by constantly ascribing the "niche" designation, boxing is still one of the most unifying and egalitarian of all sports. If any sport should be considered niche it should be golf which throuhgout its history has been the almost exclusive domain of the white upper class males, with the still fairly common exclusionary practices of its "country clubs" tacitly approved by society.

To show boxings allure through the years I have compiled a small list of notables who have taken to the sport.

• 
  
  Jennifer Lopez-actress, singer


• 
  
  LL Cool J-rapper, actor


• 
  
  Gerald Ford-37th President, one time Yale boxing coach


• 
  
  Teddy Roosevelt-President


• 
  
  Ashley Judd-actress


• 
  
  James Caan-actor


• 
  
  James Brown-Godfather of Soul


• 
  
  Miles Davis-Jazz great


• 
  
  Neil Young-music legend


• 
  
  Kris Kristofferson-actor, singer, Rhodes scholar


• 
  
  Norman Mailer-author


• 
  
  Marvin Harrison-wide receiver-Colts


• 
  
  Brady Quinn-quarterback-Browns


• 
  
  Will Smith-rapper, actor


• 
  
  Justin Timberlake-singer, actor

Folks, the list could go on and on. Bottom line is that this is not just a sport for the cauliflower eared, flat nosed set. Even the beautiful people get into it.

BODYBUILDING...NOT THE PICTURE OF HEALTH

Bodybuilding. What is it? Is it a sport? I guess so if golf is a sport. But I have my own reservations about that.

Let's also understand that all exercise is in essence bodybuidling. You are building a more effective and healthy body. It is exactly in that premise that we run into a bit of a dichotomy when discussing "bodybuilding".

The activity is supposed to demonstrate humans at their healthiest by showing how greatly it can be developed. But the premise falls apart when it becomes apparent that it is not the bodies natural means which are achieving the incredible results.

If the Mitchell Report was an eye opener for you then what would be found in bodybuilding would give you a stroke. Steroids, growth hormones, extreme calorie consumption, extreme dieting, rampant use of diuretics. In fact so many chemicals and unhealthy methods of training are utilized that it is no wonder so many participants suffer from serious health concerns such as heart problems, kidney and liver conditions and joint decay among others.

It is would actually take too long to list all the detrimental effects of participating in this activity for too long a time especially for anyone seeking to do this in the professional ranks. By the way the warning is for both men and women. So don't be dazzled by all those bodybuilding and fitness covers. In your limited weekend warrior activities you may be healthier than all of them.

IS IT JUST BOXING?

I understand that there may be some out there who believe that all I do is train people in boxing. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact I don't have any desire to make my clients boxers.

First thing I do with a client is find out and understand what their goals are. Also to help them establish goals if they don't have any beyond the vague "losing weight". After that the next step is to teach them how to move. No they are not paralyzed but even someone who has trained regularly may find themselves in movement patterns that are not effective. Maybe they have been doing a lot of weight training or a lot of cardio and they have fallen into habits and shortcuts which don't allow them to maximize their efforts. Among the biggest shortcomings is their core ability.

I know many have heard about core but don't really know what it is. In essence think of your body as being comprised only from the bottom of your chest to the bottom of your hips. The stronger this part of your body is then the less you will require of the limbs which hang and by their positioning and percentage of body mass are weaker.

Developing core stability and strength is not only about doing a lot of ab work or just working the big swiss balls (those are the big rubber balls in the gym). It is about making sure that the area is engaged in every exercise that is done. That includes proper breathing, being aware of your posture when sitting or standing, when you lift, run, walk.

So before we move on to more detailed training I focus on that. After that then we begin to put all the other pieces of resistance training, cardio, interval, boxing and any other element that interests my client to help them reach their goal.

Yes boxing type training forms a cornerstone of my approach because it encompasses so many of the elements that make movement, conditioning, fat burning, lean muscle development and skill development effective. Plus as I have found, the key to long term success in training is to remain interested and my clients have told me unanimously that boxing training keeps them stoked.

So no, boxing is not all I do. But while I see that it keeps helping my clients achieve their goals I will continue to include it along with all the other tools I have at my disposal.

WHY BOXING?

I like to think that I am a fairly logical person. I have the benefit of a good education, solid upbringing and am not in the habit of chasing risk. So why do I love a sport which would seem to be contrary to the nature of an individual with my background? I have been asked that and I have asked myself that. The answer is somewhat ethereal. After all how can you really explain that you feel enriched by the pain the training and experience can bring. That surviving an opponents relentless attack and being able to return it in kind is the best and worst moment you can experience at the same time.

Until you do it you can't really understand it. But recently as I was reading a book by Thomas Hauser, the author of Muhammad Ali's biography and many other classic boxing books, I came across a quote from Mike Jones, a former fight manager. As a fight manager he saw all the good and the bad of the game and these were his words.

"To understand boxing, you have to understand tradition and what it takes to get inside a ring. You have to learn about promoters and television and what goes on inside a fighter's head from the time his career begins until the day it ends. You have to grasp the reality of smashed faces and pain, and understand how they can be part of something courageous, exciting and beautiful. Boxing is beautiful, the purest sport in the world. You can knock promoters, you can knock managers, trainers, even fighters. But don't knock boxing. It's the best sport there is; and anyone who's ever been involved will tell you, it's an honor to be associated with boxing."

So next time you ask me or want a reason why you should like boxing just let Mike Jones' words flow through you. There is not much more to add.

BOXING KICKS BOOT CAMP BOOTY

I have often been asked by prospective clients if I do boot camps. For those of you who may not be familiar boot camps are in essence multi purpose, high intensity exercise classes. They utilize a lot of body weight exercises, interval work, some weight training, flexibility, etc.

I must admit that when asked about doing a boot camp I have thought about putting one together, but then I came to my senses, I already train people in something better than boot camps. Boxing training kicks boot camp booty.

As I have stated before and will continue to do until I am blue in the face, no training combines every element of fitness better than boxing.

Interval training, check. Body weight exercises, check. Cardio training, check, Core training, check. Speed development, self defense skills, medicine balls, check, check, check. Let's face it unless you are in the military you are not really doing a boot camp.

With boxing training you can train as intensely as a world champion. There is no difference in the exercises you would do and those a champ would do. The setting is the same for all levels so you are getting a better dose of what the real deal is.

As I have said before, if you don't want to step into the ring you don't have to. But if you want to get in the best shape of your life you will never beat boxing.

If you don't believe me come see us at the Boxing Resource Center on Main Street in East Nashville. Check out the website http://www.boxingresource.com/. I guarantee after one session you will be convinced.

I'LL BE WAITING!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK-JAN.13-19

AS MUCH AS I LOVE BOXING, I HATE IT. AND AS MUCH AS I HATE IT, I LOVE IT.-BUDD SCHULBERG.

BOXING IS SAFER THAN............

I just recently started training a lady who had never set foot inside a boxing gym. She had thought about doing the training for a long time as a new form of fitness and not for competition. Though she was apprehensive she did admit that she felt "like a badass by just being here".

After just a week of training her enthusiasm is such that she has started to tell a lot of her friends and customers about how much fun she is having. She can't understand why so many react with apprehension and dismay when she tells them what she is doing. One of the first comments is "aren't you afraid of getting hurt"?

Well as I have pointed out before, these comments are born out of ignorance not only about boxing but really about the reality of sports safety. Let's also realize that there are elements regarding ethnicity and social status that cloud people's perceptions about boxing but I'll go into that another time.

Let's first of all realize that contact sports all carry a level of risk of injury. However you might be amazed to find that sports which are not considered "contact" sports rank highly in numbers of injuries and fatalities.

In the December 10th issue of Time concussions in sports was discussed, specifically the effect on females. It was found that the highest incidence occurs in soccer, a sport which most parents feel completely at ease having their children of all ages play.

In a study in the Journal of Athletic Training female high school soccer players suffered almost 40% more concussions than males. Females suffered about 29,000 concussions a year compared to 21,000 for boys. As a matter of fact, and I quote, "Female college athletes who play soccer, basketball, softball and hockey also bear higher concussion risks than their male counterparts".

Many reasons are responsible for this, the primary one being that young athletes necks are not developed enough to withstand the forces of these contact sports. Boys who play football are still more likely to suffer concussions than any other athlete. Heck, their entire bodies are not prepared. They don't have proper sense of balance, core stability, joint stability, muscle development and on top of that often the coaching is not up to par to deal with these issues.

So what you say, that still doesn't make boxing safer. Well, yes and no. First of all let me explain that I am talking about boxing in the amateur ranks and as a form of fitness training. In any sport once you get to the professional ranks the rules are different. Again that is a topic for another time.

In one particular study which measured fatality rates per 100,000 participants horse racing came in at #1 with 128 fatalities, followed by sky diving with 123, hang gliding with 55 and boxing came in with a whopping 1.5. As a matter of fact in terms of injuries boxng has ranked 23rd, below hockey, soccer, gymnastics and in line skating.

You see, when you learn to box most of your training contact will involve hitting bags, pads, or other inanimate objects. Sparring or fighting is limited to those who express an interest in doing so. Sparring is done under the supervision of a trainer or a coach and is in essence an extremely controlled scrimmage with the work rates lasting from one to three minutes. If you fight in the amateurs you will wear headgear, protectors, have pre and post fight physicals and referees are instructed to quickly stop any fight where a fighter has taken a hard blow.

Now think about children in pee wee football. Are they subject to the same criteria? In addition amateur coaches are certified by USA Boxing which is the governing arm for amateur boxing and the Olympic boxing team.

As I am getting tired of standing on this soapbox I will recommend that if you want to get reputable information on boxing you log on to http://www.usaboxing.org/.
I also suggest that before you sign your child up for a sport that you research that sport, understand the demands, check the coaches credentials and above all see if your child is really ready for that sport.

For example, I will not allow my son to play football until he is well into his teens. I feel by this time his body will have some proper development plus I want him to take part in a variety of sports which will develop his motor skills, hand-eye coordination and overall sense of body.

I am not one of those who wants to legislate contact sports out. I think dodgeball should still be played in schools. All I'm proposing is that we take care of our kids so that they will grow to be healthy adults without lingering conditions and with a healthy sense for competition and sport.

And of course, I think boxing is a great sport for doing that.

HEROES

Not too long ago I heard some folks talking about how bad things were nowadays and how kids just were not the same. How they have no direction and how they have no heroes to look up to. It got me to thinking about what makes a hero and who were mine.

It just so happens that I have been fortunate to have two heroes in my life whose example I have tried to follow in good and bad times. I have tried to be like them but I often fall short. They are my heroes not because of fame and fortune but because of character, pride and the confidence they have always instilled in me.

One of my heroes I never met. Roberto Clemente died when I was only ten years old but already at that time he had made an impact. Not only because he was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. But primarily because everywhere he went and whatever he did he let people know that being Puerto Rican was nothing to be ashamed of. That we were not second class to anyone and that we were to always be treated with respect and that we should treat others with respect. I was never going to be the player that Clemente was but I knew I could carry that pride everywhere I went and that no one would ever take that away from me because I had the great Clemente as my example.

My other hero is more important. Without exaggeration I can say that most of what I have done and tried to achieve in my life has been because of his example. He has always been one to bring a smile to my face. As a matter of fact no one makes me laugh more than him. He has always demonstrated the kindest most forgiving heart, even towards some that I don't think deserve it. Though he often talks about toughening up and being less easy going towards others that is just not his nature. He will give you the shirt off his back and never once will he do it with the thought of what he is going to get in return.

Though he often talks about how proud he is of me it can never approach how proud I am of him and how much he means to me and my family.

My brother is the greatest man I have ever known and he is my ultimate hero. On this Thanksgiving Day and every day I give thanks for him.

E's Three B's

• Be Accountable
• Be Consistent
• Be Successful