Now It Is Getting Serious...

Well, followers of "The Brick", I have a very big announcement. 
It seems that all of the big detours leading to Competition Road have been cleaned up.
It has finally happened.
When I went in to video record Stockyards' boxing on Friday, Richard came up to me and said, "Brick, guess what happened?" Of course, I thought it was something bad.
 He said, "Your book came in."
Wow! Really? How many years have I been working towards this? Is it finally beginning to pay off?
With that happening, it means quite a few things. First of all, I can now participate in full-contact sparring. Secondly, it means...I can compete. Wait! Did I just say that? 

I would like to thank Boxing Ontario--Wait. Did I just say that?--Yes. When I went to visit the Boxing Ontario office last week, the lady was very nice. She said that she would have my book in by the following week...and that is exactly what happened.

In the meantime, I have not heard any more about Junmar's Master's Show, and there is no more boxing at Stockyards until September. So, it may be a while before I compete. However, things are sure going in the right direction.

At Friday's card, Justin had his first Master's match. He won. He is my age. Also my weight class. If he can do it, so can I. You can see his match here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJKXQC2zso0

Justin and I used to spar all the time. I think I am going to try to go back to the earlier sparring classes. Now that I am registered, it won't be a problem.
I'm going to talk to Justin and Richard about maybe doing an exhibition match this summer. Me  "verses" Justin. I think that would be interesting. Exhibitions don't count towards a boxer's record. Therefore, Just will not have to worry about losing.
Oh yeah, the man is registered, now. Let the trash-talking begin!

Another change, is that I will have to take things much more serious. That means doing more training at Stockyards and less at Bloor.
That should not be too difficult. I am starting to "outgrow" Kobe's classes.

I hate talking about Kobe's class, because every time I do, he gets pissed off with me. 

I am trying to help. If people stop showing up for his classes, he will be out of a job.

Those classes are really beginning to annoy me. He has those classes designed for beginners, yet he still wants the advanced guys to show up. That does not work. He puts beginners and advanced boxers to work together, and they both end up getting frustrated.

Kobe keeps taking about forming a team, and getting "serious". 
First off all, I have always been serious. Secondly, he has not done diddly-squat to start forming a team. I am the only one at Bloor who is registered with Boxing Ontario. How the hell is he going to form a team with only one registered boxer? Most of the guys there don't even know how to register, or worse, that they are supposed to register.

Once again I had a beginner, a small woman, complain about getting hit. Listen, you are in a boxing class. What the hell did you think was going to happen? 
See, and when I refuse to work with women on boxing, I get called sexist...

Anyway, if Kobe wants to keep his advanced boxers, he has to have a separate class for us. He can not mix us with the beginners. Already, I am noticing a lot of the advanced guys not returning to his class. Some have permanently moved to Stockyards, or some other boxing-specific gym.

I normally don't mind working with the beginners, but now is a bad time. Kobe's wimpy "Don't Hit Me" classes are not going to help me. When I step into the ring to compete, my opponent is not going to be love-tapping me. He is going to want to take my head off. I need to start serious hard-core sparring now. Waiting until competition is not the time to learn how to take it hit.

For my summer training schedule, there is going to be a lot more time dedicated to hard sparring and serious technical training at Stockyards, and fewer "wimpy" classes at Bloor.

Cheers.

Another Detour.....??!!

Just like the Toronto Transit Commission, the road to competition has many problems and delays.
Just when I thought my life would start getting better, I have run into a problem with my Boxing Ontario application.
My physician wrote "microalbuminaria" on the medical form. At the same time, he said that it should not be a problem, and authorized the form.
However, my friends at Boxing Ontario have expressed a few conditions that "may prelude you from boxing"...and yes, 'albuminaria' is on that list. Also note that this condition may prelude you from boxing. 
Albuminaria is a condition where protein is leaked into the urine, and may indicate kidney disease. However, I have had my kidneys tested twice in the last year, among the 200 other tests I have had done, and just like all of the other tests, there is not a damn thing wrong.
I keep having to go for tests, because every time I have a blood or pee test, something shows up positive. I get sent to a specialist, and they can't find anything wrong. 
One time the test showed a high blood-glucose, and they thought I had diabetes. I tested again, and I was fine. 
I tell you, something is skewing these tests. If I really did have all of the things all of these tests show I have, I would be dead. Seriously.
I would not be surprised if someone was doing it on purpose.
My new physician told be that the micoalbuminaria is likely caused by a excessively high-protein diet. Well, I do eat a lot of meat, and I also take protein powder.
That is about to stop. My physician wants me to stop taking protein powder. That's fine, but he wants me to cut down on meat intake. Whoa, whoa, whoa...let's not get hysterical.  I am a guy. To take away my burgers and steaks, you may as well remove my balls.
I have another appointment with him next month, so we will be discussing what to do about my protein.
Sometime this week, I am going to hop on the number 100 bus, and take a little leisurely stroll to the Boxing Ontario office. I have paid for my registration, I want my registration. The doctor approved me, so there is not really much anyone can do. I am simply going to explain the situation, as I did here. Although, I think someone at Boxing Ontario does read this blog.

While I am on this topic, my nice new physician submitted my medical exam to OHIP, as an "Athletic Check-Up", instead of a "Yearly Check-Up". The difference? Athletic check-ups are not covered.  Although, it really is a yearly check-up, just with the addition of filling out the form. Doctors usually charge for forms, but it is only about $20.
Anyway, I received a bill for $84.50. Yeah. He did less than 10 minutes of work, and billed me $84.50.
Is it too late for me to go to medical school? I am in the wrong line of work.
He told me that he is charging Ontario Medical Association rates. He is not bound by those. They are just suggestions. He can charge whatever he wants. Honestly, I would feel guilty charging that much for such little work. All he did was a very basic medical exam that took not even 10 minutes

I have now invested $184.50 in this whole boxing thing, to be in a boxing show that may not even happen.   
Although, I will now have "permission" to do full-contact sparring at Stockyards. 
Great. How many rounds of sparring to I get for $184.50? I guess that depends. Is that the OMA rate?