It Was A Cold and Snowy Day In Cabbagetown

  

ENTRY 483  January 27 /2023

WEDNESDAY SPARRING REPORT

Wednesday was the only sparring day I had this week but it was the on;y one I really needed.

I did four rounds with the coach's son. He's 17.  Compared to what I am, about 30 years difference plus the fact that he was likely training for the past few years and I wasn't. Needless to say, he really made me work. I was tired after sparring with him and it has been a long time since I have been tired from doing anything, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

BRAMPTON CUP: NOT A GOOD IDEA

Cabbagetown will be sending three athletes to the Brampron Cup which is being held next weekend.

I think that was a really bad idea. It was not my coach's decision. My coach will not be sending anyone into competition for at least six months. 

I have an idea of which coach did that and it was not a good idea. 

One Master and two Elite boxers from Cabbagetown have been entered. Of course, these are my friends and I wish them all the best, but at the same time, I have to be realistic about it. Almost all boxing gyms in Ontario fully opened last June.  Cabbagetown did not open until January because...Kiwanis Club. That means that the other gyms all have at least a six-month advantage.

My coach has an idea that I agree with. Let us catch up first before sending us into battle.

MY MISTAKE, BUT...

In the last entry, I mentioned that anyone wishing to become a member of the Cabbagetown Boxing Club would not be able to view the facilities because the Kiwanis Club required registration and payment before allowing entry.

Well, that was not quite right. Anyone can call the club first to make arrangements to tour the facility.

I made a mistake and corrected it, so if you are interested in joining the Cabbagetown Boxing Club as a competitive boxer or for recreation, the phone number is posted on the Kiwanis Club website and also on the door at 2 Lancaster Avenue in Toronto.

I will not be publishing the number here because I do not have permission to do so.

However, I am still not happy with the situation. There is still a lot of work to do and it seems like they are not in a hurry to finish.

I am protective of the Cabbagetown Boxing Club for reasons that I have mentioned before, and my concern is that it could be shut down. I like the people there and I appreciate everything the coaches have done for me. 

However, the Cabbagetown Boxing Club is a fairly large facility. It takes up the entire second floor of the Cabbagetown Youth Centre. That is a big space that the Kiwanis Club can use for something other than boxing, especially since they were really not interested in the boxing club in the first place.

For me to get there, I have to take a 189 Stockyards bus to Keele subway station and then the subway across to Castle Frank station, and then a 65 Parliament bus to Winchester Street. That is at least a 45-minute trip and then back again. Although there are boxing gyms in the Junction area, three of them, I like Cabbagetown. 

If I had the money, I would put in an offer to buy it just to keep it open.

Perhaps I am crazy for thinking that way, but I'm sorry, that is how I feel.

A SNOWSTORM COULD'T KEEP ME AWAY...

It was a snowy morning in Cabbagetown...

Friday morning I was expecting to do some more sparring but nobody showed up for sparring. Likely because the previous day we had experienced a major snowstorm, but, so what? I went. I traveled halfway across the city to go!

I did some work with the coach and he introduced some more new stuff to me and we especially worked on defensive moves, 

We worked on the slip, the duck, the block, and my favorite, the slip and jab.

More things to work on while sparring.

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Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter (@paulbrickboxer)  and Mastodon (Paul'TheBrick'boxer), and view my adventures on YouTube at "Another Brick In the Sprawl"

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ABOUT 'The Brick"

'The Brick" is a competitive boxer and has been training for over 12 years.

STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

STATUS:

ACTIVE

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (162 lbs.) 

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA