Me and the Brampton Cup

 

    ENTRY 520| NOVEMBER 24 /2023

ME AND THE BRAMPTON CUP

On Friday the coach asked me if I wanted to be in the Brampton Cup.

It didn't take me long to think about an answer.  Well, I actually didn't think about an answer, "Yes" automatically came out of my mouth.

I know that I have been saying that I didn't want to be in tournaments anymore, but I felt appreciated when the coach asked me. Besides, I had never been in a Brampton Cup. It is the only tournament that I have never attended as an athlete or otherwise.

I am taking this very seriously. I have just over two months to prepare and I am not going there to lose. The Cabbagetown Boxing Club does not create losers, only winners. That club and its coaches have been very good to me and I am not going to pay them back by being a loser.

Over the next couple of months, I will be very focused on winning. I will be asking anyone who works with me in the ring or on any drills to work me very hard.

The Brampton Cup is tough as boxers from all around North America are in attendance. 

My coach and I will be working rigorously on a few techniques.

• Jab, L Upper, Hook
• Jab, R Upper, Hook, Right
• Block, Jab, Right
• Check Hook
• Jab, Step-Back, Right
• Slip, Slip, Duck, Duck
• Slip, Slip, Duck, Duck, Right
• Slip, Body Jab, Right
• Double Jab
• Step Right, Right, Double Jab
• Double Jab, Right
• Double Right
• Right To the Body
• Right, Hook, Right
• Jab, Duck, Right

I think that's about it, for now.

I tell you, they are turning me into a mean machine.

Thank you to Coach Johnny and the Cabbagetown Boxing Club for continuously making me a better athlete.

For anyone out there wishing to be a better boxer, I can not recommend the Cabbagetown Boxing Clun enough.

NEXT ENTRY: December 1/2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer, training since 1982.

Political lean: None. (middle)

Personality Type (Myers-Briggs): INTJ

Education: College Diploma (Applied Arts)

Lives in: Toronto, Ontario, Canada  (The Junction/Stockyards Village)

Born in: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Entertainment Likes: Rock music and psychological drama films

Favorite books: Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher In the Rye, Slaughterhouse-Five, Of Mice and Men, 1984

BOXING STATS

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

75 kg (168 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1030

Tue: 1730 -1930

Wed. 0900-1030

Thu. 1730-1930

Fri. 0900-1100

Holidays 0900-1030

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

Brampton Cup Tournament (TENTATIVE)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

How Dangerous Is Boxing?

 

    ENTRY 519| NOVEMBER 17 /2023

HOW DANGEROUS IS BOXING?

A recent study compared the dangers of sports.

I found the results very interesting and somewhat surprising.

One would think that the most dangerous sports are the contact sports. However, the two most dangerous sports are in fact not contact sports at all. 

They are basketball and European football (soccer).

Keeping in mind that this study was based on statistics from reports of injuries caused while participating in said sport that required hospitalization.

The most dangerous contact sport is American football.

Some of the safest sports are baseball, swimming, ice hockey, and tennis.

Where does boxing fit into all of this? You may be surprised. 

It is dead last.

So, in addition to being the hardest sport, it is also the safest.

That is not to say that there are not any injuries, but it means that you are highly unlikely to receive an injury that is severe enough to need to go to the hospital.

Strict safety protocols are one of the main reasons.

For example, in most places in North America, boxers must have an annual check-up with a cardiologist.

That is the definition of irony to me. One of the reasons why I exercise is for a strong heart, but yet once a year I have to be tested to make sure that my heart is strong enough so I can exercise.

Okay, then.

For all those basketball players out there...switch to boxing. It is safer.

NEXT ENTRY: November 24/2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer, training since 1982.

Political lean: None. (middle)

Personality Type (Myers-Briggs): INTJ

Education: College Diploma (Applied Arts)

Lives in: Toronto, Ontario, Canada  (The Junction/Stockyards Village)

Born in: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Entertainment Likes: Rock music and psychological drama films

Favorite books: Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher In the Rye, Slaughterhouse-Five, Of Mice and Men, 1984

BOXING STATS

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

74 kg (167 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1030

Tue: 1730 -1930

Wed. 0900-1030

Thu. 1730-1930

Fri. 0900-1100

Holidays 0900-1030

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

It Was Like Trying To Move A Building

 

    ENTRY 518| NOVEMBER 10 /2023

IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO MOVE A BUILDING

Lots of sparring this week and I was able to attend the gym every day, so I did a total of 13 rounds this week.

I had a good variety of guys to work with, and I like that.

One guy I worked with a few times was a fairly big boy. He is about 240 lbs to my 165. He kept driving me to the ropes and the coach was yelling at me to spin him out. It was like trying to move a building. After several tries, I was finally able to do it. Yes! I was able to flip this big guy right around.

The coach's constant yelling of "Flip him around!" finally worked. Although I paid for it later. My shoulders were so sore that it felt like my arms were going to fall right off.

However, the coach did say that in a realistic situation, I would not have an opponent that big, but it was still good practice for me.

My trapezius' disagree and are still complaining.

CARD CANCELLED

On November 11 the Cabbagetown Boxing Club was supposed to host a boxing card. There were initially 10 bouts scheduled and I was really looking forward to it. However, for some reason, it was canceled. 

I was working very hard for that, but good training is never a waste. There will be other cards in the future.

MIKE TYSON IS AROUND!

One of the best boxers of all time and the boxer who first got me interested in boxing will be in the Toronto area this weekend.

Mike Tyson of 'Mike Tyson Mysteries' is scheduled to appear in Mississauga at the Sports Expo. 

Admission to the show is $20 which is a steal, but there is (of course) an additional fee to meet the sports stars. $200 to be exact. 

I;m sorry Mike, getting a photo of you is not worth $200. I can get one of them off the Internet for free.

I could just play Pavarotzi and wait for him to leave and then just snap a photo, but I don't know how well he would take that. I don't think pissing off Mike Tyson is a good idea.

Remember the Sean Penn incident?

There.

$200, please.

SPORTS CARD AND MEMORABILIA EXPO

NEXT ENTRY: November 17/2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer training since 1982.

Political lean: None. (middle)

Personality Type (Myers-Briggs): INTJ

BOXING STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (165 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1030

Tue: 1730 -1930

Wed. 0900-1030

Thu. 1730-1930

Fri. 0900-1100

Holidays 0900-1030

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

"Killer" Right

  

    ENTRY 517| NOVEMBER 3 /2023

BORING BOXING WEEK BUT THE "KILLER" RIGHT IS COMING!

Hey everyone.

You know. There is nothing to report this week. 

I did a total of four rounds of sparring where I practiced defense and by "killer" right that I had a bit of a problem with being able to land, but that's okay. That is what practice is for.

We are still working on the "left--left--left" and the "left--step back--right", both of which I really like, but I need to work on them more while sparring.

That's all for this week.

NEXT ENTRY: November 10/2023 

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OTHER PROJECTS

Writing

"The Talot Hills Memoirs", workplace humor, comedy, novel- 20 chapters

READ HERE on Wattpad

"The 58th Floor". science fiction, based on reality, novel- 14 chapters

READ HERE on Wattpad

"Five Days Left", science fiction, short-  1 chapter

READ HERE on ABCTales

"Unsupported File Format" science fiction, short- 1 chapter

READ HERE on ABCTales

"Obfuscation" science fiction, short- 1 chapter

READ HERE on ABCTales

"Knee-Deep In the Hoopla", screenplay. comedy, feature film

CONVERSION FROM NOVEL IN PROGRESS, RELEASE TBA

Synopsis: A film version of the novel "The Talbot Hills Memoirs".

"WOKE-up", situation comedy, controversial, TV series

CONCEPT SCRIPT AND PROGRAM OUTLINE IN PROGRESS, RELEASE TBA

Synopsis: A conservative father of a boy who thinks he's a girl and living next door to a married same-gender couple with an adopted girl who thinks she's a boy. Can this conservative father survive the WOKE generation?

"Toxic Transit: Why Public Transportation Is No Longer An Option To Driving", opinion, article

READ HERE on Medium

"From Talking Chickens To Flying Beer Bottles", workplace incidents, article

READ HERE on Vocal

"Three Days of Darkness", news retrospect, article

READ HERE on Vocal

Broadcasting

Stockyards Radio is set to return next year pending a server upgrade, The station will operate 24/7 with a whole new programming schedule featuring the return of "The Rockpile" and "Sounds From the Screen"

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer training since 1982.

Political lean: None. (middle)

Personality Type (Myers-Briggs): INTJ

BOXING STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (165 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Wed. 0900-1100

Thu. 1730-1930

Fri. 0900-1100

Holidays 0900-1030

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

November 11 (tentative)

@Cabbagetoown Boxing Clun

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn