As mention in the last post, Tim has not been showing up for his classes. You are already aware of the frustrations at Bloor Street Boxing. However, there is a bit more to it. Lately, the boxing area has been in a bad state of repair. In addition to crowded classes, and the constant mess around the ring, several pieces of equipment have been broken for a very long period of time. I have brought this to the attention of the managers, but I might as well talk to the wall. Also, last month the head coach quit. Right now, there are no certified coaches at Bloor Street, so it does not look like things are going to improve. Junmar's classes are good, but he is not certified. Otherwise, I like the Bloor Street Gym and the people there, but they are not meeting my needs. Right now, their boxing program is crumbling. If I have any chance of competing again, I need a certified coach and a properly maintained gym.
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| No speed bags. I have asked for these to be fixed three times. |
I have been searching for a new boxing facility. One that takes boxing seriously, and have no problem coaching someone as "seasoned" as I.
I found two. Cabbagetown Boxing Club, which currently has two competitive boxer in their 40s, and Kingsway Boxing Club. Cabbagetown is a bit far, but Kingsway is on the way home from work. I was looking at their website, WOW, what a nice facility. They have all new equipment, and they are certified by Boxing Ontario, which Bloor Street is not (any more). They have formatted classes, not crowded, and they even have open sparring classes. This is something I also recommended at Bloor Street, but was ignored as usual. The problem with Kingsway is that they have odd hours. They did say they would train me to compete, even as a professional if I like. With that however, come a price. $95 a month! Compared to the $50 I pay at Bloor.
I went to check out the Kingsway Club. They used to be located in the basement of the Kingsway Theatre, until the theatre re-opened. Then they wanted their basement back. Now the boxing club is located on Jutlin Road near Kipling Ave. It is located behind a warehouse in a light industrial area. Why are boxing gyms always located in dumb areas?
On my way back form Kingsway, I noticed Xtreme Couture was not too far, just a couple of blocks. They have boxing there as well. However, I did not see them listed as certified with Boxing Ontario. That means, probably no serious competition.
Finally, there is Sully's Boxing Club near Dufferin and Dupont. They are open weekends which in convenient.
What does this mean for Bloor Street? Nothing, yet. I am going to try another gym for a while, and also keep my Bloor membership. After all, Bloor Street is close and are open 24 hours. However, that can change. As the others get more members, they may increase their hours.
So The Comeback Kid has a serious dilemma. Stay tuned to this blog, as the drama continues. Dum, da dum...
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| This double-ended ball has been broken for five months. |
Kingsway Boxing Club
Xtreme Couture
Cabbagetown Boxing Club
Sully's Boxing Club
Paul "The Comeback Kid"
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