Appropriate and Ironic: He Broke Me

    ENTRY 429



APPROPRIATE AND IRONIC, HOW THE COACH BROKE ME

This happened over two days, well actually over a 24-hour period but there was an overnight in there.

On Thursday evening, I was in the ring doing some footwork practice. Out of nowhere, the coach in charge of the competitive team who I had not yet worked with, jumped into the ring and showed me a new drill. Well, new to me.
It was a footwork drill where you start at the center of the ring and move to the ropes. Then you throw a combination using the top rope as a reference. Then you move back to the center and to one side, then forward again. Then once again throw a few using the top rope as a target. 
You keep doing that for the entire round and for three rounds.

Then he said to me, "Your boxing is good but you need to get stronger".

What? Am I not strong enough?
I guess not.

He wants me to do five sets of 25 sit-ups and five sets of 20 push-ups every second day.

Push-ups? Really? I absolutely hate those.
When I was younger I could do 30 in less than 30 seconds with no problem.
Now, that I am older...
...Oh, wait. I can't use the age excuse anymore. Dammit.

Anyway, I did what he asked. I took me not 30 seconds but closer to 30 minutes, but I did it.

Although I think it is great that the competitive team coach is taking an interest in my training, I think he broke me with that.
He really did break me.
The problem was me taking too much time off without doing them and now having to go back to doing them again.
I guess that was my fault.

On Friday morning I went in for my weekly Friday morning sparring, and still sore from the previous evening training, the sparring coach played the Rocky IV soundtrack. It was the first time anyone played "appropriate" music in there, but ironic.
The night before I watched Rocky IV for the sole purpose of obtaining the image above.
I couldn't remember where it was in the film, so I watched the whole thing.
It also gave me a chance to test my new monitor.
Actually, I am trying a TV as a monitor. It works great for watching movies, which makes sense since that is what a TV is for.
Thank you Captian Obvious.

I guess this is the official start-up for training for our club card next month.
More on that in a later entry.

Oh, and a side note, I dropped another pound.



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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

The Drama Continues and A Training Update With Another Weight Loss Announcement!

    ENTRY 428


THE DRAMA CONTINUES

Okay, so here we go again.
I wasted two days off from work trying to sort things at Xtreme Couture.

At first, I just put a pause on the membership because I wanted to try to work things out.
However, that did not happen.
On Wednesday I went in to get them to sign the release form and immediately one of the coaches started to yell at me and refused to sign the release, and that is exactly what I thought would happen. So, my idea to try to save the membership had failed. I was asked by the nice person at the front desk to return the following day to talk to one of the managers.
On Thursday I did what she suggested.
I felt really bad because the manager I spoke with was very nice but I explained that I tried my best but the coaches were being uncooperative.
He was very understanding and canceled my membership.

While all this was happening, I looked up and saw the boxing coaches standing in the doorway of the boxing area and they were watching me.

I had no problem getting the membership canceled, but I still didn't get the form filled. 
Although Boxing Ontario requires it, I forgot that the coaches at Xtreme Couture are exempt from the rules.

My only alternative at this point is to see if Boxing Ontario will accept the form without a signature. They already know about it because I had already informed them.
It is likely Xtreme Couture coaches may get in crap from Boxing Ontario, but that is their own fault.

This doesn't make sense, anyway. They want me off the team, but won't release me. Just sign the damn form and let me get that place out of my life.

As you can tell, I am very annoyed at the coaches at Xtreme Couture. They are so unprofessional and conceited, and they are not even good coaches.

My new coach was able to find a flaw in my technique and make many suggestions within two days. 
I was paying almost $200 a month at Xtreme Couture for a year and none of the coaches were able to find any flaws or even make any decent suggestions.

Based on my experiences at Xtreme Couture, I can honestly not recommend the boxing program.
However, they do have decent fitness facilities and the front area staff are wonderful, and I can't comment on the other combat sports they teach because I didn't take any of those classes.
All I can say is to stay away from the boxing.

They did give me a six-month credit that I can give to someone, so if anyone wants to try Xtreme Couture for a few months, let me know.


TRAINING UPDATE

As I mentioned before, my new coach has provided me with a lot of great advice.
I don't share all of my training anymore, but this one is interesting.

Have you ever seen a boxer tap himself on the forehead?
There is a reason for that.

It reminds him to return his hands to his face.

My coach told me that and wants me to try it.

There, you learned something about boxers today.


ANOTHER WEIGHT LOSS

When I last checked, Wednesday, I was down to 174 lbs.
That is a 5-pound drop since leaving Xtreme Couture and a 12-pound drop since leaving Stockyards.
However, my coach wants me to drop to below 170.
That is doable.



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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

There It Is!

    ENTRY 427



THERE IT IS!

On Friday morning a coach, actually two coaches, asked me if I wanted to be on the September card.

I was going to ask them myself next month, but the coaches beat me to it.

They want me to lose 10 pounds. 
I have already lost 10 pounds.
I had just lost 4 pounds since I started training at the new gym.

However, in order for me to compete while representing this new gym, I will need to file a transfer request.
You have to get both gyms to sign it. Then Boxing Ontario has to approve it,

The problem is that I don't know if the other gym will release me. If they don't, I will have to wait until I renew my Boxing Ontario membership which won't be until the end of the year. 
That means I will not only miss the September card, but also the Silver Gloves and the Golden Gloves.

That is a roadblock that I have to find some way of detouring.

Secondly, that fact that Boxing Ontario has to approve it. I mean I don't see why they won't, and even if they don't it has already been done.
I have been training at this new gym for four weeks now.

These new coaches are great.
They have shown me a lot of good ideas in four weeks. 
I am a little pissed that my previous gym where I paid almost $200 a month was not able to show me more in the year I was there. 
However, that is history. 
Time to move on.



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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

Update: Three Weeks In

    ENTRY 426


NEW GYM UPDATE

I wanted to use this entry to update everyone on the new gym and coach.

I have just completed three weeks there and it has been a great three weeks.
Attentive coaches and a good bunch of people to train with who I am still getting to know.

I currently train four times per week for about two hours each. 

I am still not going to reveal where I am training.
However, we will soon be having a club card and I would like to be on it. I was not invited to the last club card at that other place which is one of the many reasons I left there.

Anyway, that is water under the bridge. It is time to move on,
I hope I can stay at this gym a bit longer.
This is boxing gym number five for those who are tracking or have lost track.

Sometimes I am criticized for changing coaches so often.
However, my only goal is to find a decent coach who does not have any problem coaching a master. 

Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to change gyms.

I look forward to representing this new gym if not at local cards, the Silver Gloves and Golden Gloves are once again approaching quickly.


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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

New Gym and Coach Is A Go: Just Lean Back

    ENTRY 425



IT IS A 'NO CONTEST'

I have decided to not have the contest to figure out my new coach.
Instead, I am just going to leave it a mystery. I think it would make things more interesting that way.
It was like not knowing what state the town of Springfield was in.

Eventually, people will find out, but until then, it is a secret.




NEW GYM AND COACH WORKING OUT  WELL

I have decided officially on joining the new gym,

A few things impressed me about it.

First of all, during my very first session, the coach was able to correct a problem that I have had since I started boxing, and it was a very easy fix.

I had always been a bit off balance due to the fact that I tended to lean a bit forward when I stepped into the jab.
This coach corrected that by just simply telling me to "Lean back". Then he created a drill for me that I did for six rounds.
He had me work on the double-ended bag. I did a step-in, jab, slip, step back, reset, and go again, but concentrate on leaning back.
This drill worked because I already knew how to do everything else. I only had to think about leaning back.

For over six years of having the same bad habit, no coach was able to fix that until now, and it was an easy fix.

I was really impressed by that.

Another thing is that this is a very traditional boxing gym. 
The are no fitness classes. This gym is for boxers only.

The boxers do not have to attend classes. Something I hated doing at the previous gym.

Classes are for beginners. Once you are at the competition level, classes are useless. They are too generalized. Competitive boxers need to be fine-tuned. 
Throwing a competitive boxer into a class and doing the same drills as everyone else is not going to help him. It may even hold him back.
Drills need to be customized for each boxer, such as my coach did for me. 
It worked.

I have a theory as to why either the coaches didn't notice or didn't care, but I can't talk about that right now because the explanation might reveal the name of my boxing club so it will have to wait.

This gym also has three training times per day. 
There are a lot of times per day when I can go in. Morning, afternoon, and evening. All for boxers-only training.

Also, my club will be hosting a boxing card sometime in the fall.
Hopefully, I will be asked to be in it since Couture would not let me be in theirs for whatever reason. 
(No comment. I am trying to keep cool and move forward.)

Moving forward, "The Brick" is starting a new chapter. Hopefully, this chapter will be a bit longer than the last.


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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec



Here is a photo of the inside of my new boxing gym, I was careful to not get the name:

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SPECIAL ENTRY: Lost and Found

    SPECIAL ENTRY 

LOST A COACH, FOUND A COACH

Here we go again.

This is boxing gym number five.

It was a lot easier than I expected. The coach was really nice. 

He asked me if I was registered with Boxing Ontario, how many fights I have had, my weight class, the last time I saw the inside of a boxing gym, and where I was last.

I told him that I was at Xtreme Couture last and he seemed impressed by that, but he didn't ask me why I left. 

It really does not matter. Does it?

Really. 

I don't understand why Brock's gym made a big deal about it.

He should have been happy that I chose his gym to return, but if he doesn't want me back it is his loss. I couldn't care less.

Well, I do in a way because I don't understand why it is any of his business.

As a matter-of-fact, Kyle, a semi-professional boxer who trains with Brock, sent me a really nasty message on Facebook and then blocked me so I couldn't respond.

That's really mature.

Fake friend. I like Facebook for that. It is good at weeding out the fakes.

True friends will stick with you through anything.

Anyway, not that it matters, but I left Xtreme Couture for many reasons.

The main one being lack of communication between the coaches and the athletes. Another being simply that there were too many coaches. Finally, it was very expensive to train there compared to other places that provide the same service.

That brings up another point. How did Brock know what was going on at Xtreme Couture? 

Somebody informed him and probably exaggerated and tried to make me look like an ass.

Then Brock just went ahead and assumed that I was an ass without even letting me explain.

Oh well, his loss.

..and to think of all the times I recommended his gym and I gave his gym a good rating, and even voted for his gym in one of those "readers choice" things.

Never again.

I start training on Thursday with my new coach, but due to what has been happening, I am not prepared to reveal who my new coach is just yet.

I was thinking of even running a contest possibly with a prize to the first one to guess it.

I will be occasionally be dropping hints here and running live streams on Facebook around the area where I will be training. The first to guess it correctly will win.

More on that later.

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

  

SPECIAL ENTRY: Still Looking For A Coach and It Is None Of Your Freaking Business

    SPECIAL ENTRY 



IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS ANY MORE


Today, I tried to return to a previous coach and was told that he didn't want me back.
Apparently, I cause too many problems.
I cause problems because I want to be kept informed as to what is going on and I don't want people sneaking around behind my back and trying to pull a fast one.
Excuse me for expecting honesty. I am way out of line.

My last coach suspended me from the team because he didn't like something I did at the Bronze Gloves.
I accepted that although I didn't really understand, and I got pissed off when he stopped keeping me informed of what was happening. Excuse me for wanting to be kept informed.

I ended up trying to go back to Brock Arthur's gym, and he said that he does not want me back. He is still bent out of shape about what happened with the OBA.
You know what? That is water under the bridge. The OBA doesn't exist anymore and even then, anything that happened while I was there in 2016 doesn't count anyway because they were operating illegally at that point, so who the hell cares?
Two weeks previously, Brock was more than happy to have me return, so between then and today somebody tipped him off.

I am still going to be looking for a coach, but nobody, and I mean nobody is going to be told where or whom I will be talking to about coaching.
It is nobody's fucking business.

You will all be kept up to date once I have been established with a coach.

Thanks a hell of a lot.

In the meantime, I am keeping up with training...somewhere very secret.




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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec