I Can See Clearly Now--The Year In Review

 

    ENTRY 525| DECEMBER 23 /2023

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

Welcome to the last entry for the year 2023.

This past year has been a real game-changer for me in various ways.

One big one was that I realized that the Cabbagetown Boxing Club is really not that different to any other boxing gym that I have attended as far as the treatment of the Masters boxers.

You already know the story of Rey. but another coach pulled one on Thursday.

The coach in question has had a history of never giving me very much sparring time and I never knew the reason, so on that particular occasion I asked, and his reply was"We need to give more time to the guys who are competing."

Well, what the hell am I doing? Wasting time?

Now two coaches at Cabbagetown are not taking me seriously. One thinks I am "Too old" and the other thinks I am just there because I have nothing better to do with my time.

What the hell is going on? The Cabbagetown Boxing Club was not like that pre-pandemic. It has just been this year.

It does not make sense that someone would take the time to go to a coaching seminar and then not want to coach.

Coach Johnny on the other hand told me that he likes coaching and it shows. 

That is the reason why I am so particular about who I allow to coach me. There are still many coaches who do not want to coach Masters for ridiculous reasons. To put it bluntly, it doesn't matter how you feel. You are a certified coach so do your fucking job!

That being said, I am still very happy with the quality of coaching I get from Johnny, so I am going to keep training to the best I can. I am going to the Brampton Cup, and I am going to win Gold at the Brampton Cup---for Johnny.

For Masters boxers out there, be very careful when choosing a coach. 

I suggest not even telling the coach you are a Master until it is absolutely necessary.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Despite the few problems, I feel that 2023 was a very productive year in boxing for me.

That is thanks mostly to Coach Johnny, but also to other boxers who have worked with me.

I could not have done it without you.

THE FUTURE: LOOKING TO 2024

 I predict a more positive 2024. I will keep training with Coach Johnny as long as he remains at the Cabbagetown Boxing Club and if he leaves, so will I, but I don't see that happening soon.

After my next bout, I will be moved automatically into the Open division. That will mean longer rounds and different rules but I feel that with Johnny's continuous help, I will get by just fine.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year/Happy Holidays to all my readers.

Please join me here again in 2024.

--'The Brick'

NEXT ENTRY: January 6 /2024 

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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:

76 kg (170 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

PAUSED (Holidays)

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1100

Tue 1730-1900

Thu 1730-1900

Sat 1100-1300

COMPETITION STATUS:

ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

Brampton Cup Tournament 

February 1,2,3,4 (TENTATIVE)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

Back To (Modified) Training

 

    ENTRY 524| DECEMBER 16 /2023

MODIFIED TRAINING

I have returned to training this week after a short break.

There is not much to report this week, but leading up to the Brampton Cup I have modified my training schedule to allow for more intense training while allowing for more rest time between sessions.

My coach wants me doing more work with the competitive boxers.so that means fewer mornings and more evenings.

Beginning next week I will only be attending one morning.

I will be attending on Monday mornings, Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings, and Saturday afternoons until at least the end of January.

Thios will give me a good balance between competitive training and a rest period between sessions to help prevent injury from overexertion.

As a reminder, the next entry, December 23, will be the last entry for 2023 and will cover a review of the year.

NEXT ENTRY: December 23/2023 

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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:

76 kg (170 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE--MODIFIED

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1100

Tue 1730-1900

Thu 1730-1900

Sat 1100-1300

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

Brampton Cup Tournament 

February 1,2,3,4 (TENTATIVE)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

An Unexpected Obstical

 

    ENTRY 523| DECEMBER 9 /2023

NEW DAY, SAME BLOG

Welcome to a new day. 

A new blogging day, that id.

The blog will remain weekly (excluding holidays and events), but will new be on Saturdays. There are several reasons for this change. 

Also, remember that there will be no blog during the holidays, so the last entry for the year will be on December 23.

IT WOULD NOT BE MY LIFE WITHOUT DRAMA

I was unexpectedly "forced" to stop training for a while due to some drama around the Cabbagetown Boxing Club involving a specific coach. If you read my entries regularly, you already know who I am talking about.

Okay, so this is basically what happened.

One of the coaches, not my coach, falsified an injury. The fact is that I wasn't injured and there was no report from a medical professional stating otherwise. As a matter of fact, my own physician was able to verify that there wasn't an injury, but of course, all of the other coaches including my own, told me that I had to take time off from training.

I can understand that there are unfortunate situations where an athlete gets injured and has to take time off. That wouldn't bother me, but for the fact that in my case the injury was "made up" by a coach who already thinks that I am "too old to be a boxer".

Yes.

Do you understand my point now?

The most disturbing thing about this is that I am concerned about the impact this is going to have on my training for the Brampton Cup.

I have been off for two weeks, so that means that my opponent is already going to have two weeks on me before anything else.

The one good thing about it is that the gym is investigating the "ageism" of that particular coach as this was not an isolated incident.

I will be able to train again starting next week, but I have a lot to do. The tournament will be here soon. The Brampton Cup starts on February 1. That really isn't that far away. Registration is already open.

As you can imagine, this is a very nig thing for me.

The last time I competed was in December of 2018 and it was a piss-poor performance.

For five years that poor performance has been staring in my face, so the fact that my coach invited me to go to this one was a big deal. It means that he trusts me that I am not going to screw up and I absolutely can not do that.

I am going to settle for nothing less than Gold.

NEXT ENTRY: December 16/2023 

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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:

76 kg (170 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ON HIATUS

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1100

Wed. 0900-1030

Fri. 0900-1100

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

Brampton Cup Tournament (TENTATIVE)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

Why I Will Never Spar A Young Guy Again

 

    ENTRY 522| DECEMBER 1 /2023

NO MORE SPARRING THE YOUNG GUYS

Tuesday produced a very interesting sparring session.

It was interesting enough to cause me to rethink my training schedule.

The coaches liked me coming in the evenings to help the younger guys,  However, some Masters do not like doing that and I found out the reason.

Some of them lack self-control.

Here is the thing, in amateur boxing there is a weight differential and an age differential. It is 10 pounds and 10 years between boxers. However, that is not always possible while sparing. Therefore, the heavier boxer should adjust accordingly. That is not a problem with the guys who are closer to my age, but the younger guys don't do that.

I am tired of risking injury from doing something that really does not benefit me. It helps the younger, newer guys, but does diddly squat for me.

I am currently training for the Brampton Cup tournament. I am not going to ever have an opponent who is half my age and 50 lbs. heavier. There is no way that is going to happen so I need more realistic training.

Therefore, at least until the Brampton Cup, I will not be sparring the younger guys on the evening sessions.

NOT EXACTLY A REY OF SUNSHINE

Coach Rey is...Coach Rey. He is known to be somewhat abrupt and abrasive with his boxers and I have got used to that. Also, he is not my coach so I don't have to deal with him very often but he recently pushed one of my buttons. 

I have a lot of buttons that people try to push and most of the time they don't do anything, but there is one button that if pushed will make me very angry, and you won't like me when I am angry.

DO NOT EVER ATTEMPT TO PUSH THIS BUTTON:

I am very proud to be able to do what I do at my age--any age-- age doesn't matter. I respect all boxers. Boxing is a difficult sport so anyone who tries it and is serious about it deserves respect. Mentioning someone's age is disrespectful.

Rey, for some reason, "went off: on me about my age. It initially made me really upset. He pressed the forbidden button. 

I don't think he intended to press that button, but he did. Regardless of his intentions, coaches are very much aware that they are not allowed to make statements to their athletes that may come across as being discriminatory. This is true with any sport not just boxing.

I was so furious at first that I wanted to file a grievance with Boxing Ontario, but then I realized that it would be pointless because they wouldn't care about that since it has nothing to do with money.

Ultimately, I have decided to stay away from the gym when I know Rey is going to be there for the time being. I am still a bit annoyed.

MY FACE (FINALLY) IN THE NEWSLETTER

For months I have been trying to figure out how I can get my handsome mug in the Cabbagetown Boxing newsletter, and I finally did.

I had to model one of their hoodies.

Yes. That is me in the red trunks. 

This photo appears in the December newsletter, but they didn't let me keep the hoodie. 

Really?

I also thought that this next photo would appear as well.

My wife and I gave the gyn this diamond painting of the Cabbagetown Boxing logo. 

I added the boxing gloves as a nice touch.

There was interest by some other members in purchasing one as well.

If anyone from the Cabbagetown Boxing Club would like one of these, let me know.

NEXT ENTRY: December 9/2023 

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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:

76 kg (170 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Mon: 0900-1100

Wed. 0900-1030

Fri. 0900-1100

COMPETITION STATUS:

 ACTIVE

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

Brampton Cup Tournament (TENTATIVE)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn