Preparing "The Guide"

    ENTRY 467


"THE GUIDE" OUT SOON

Hello all.
This is a reminder that my annual "Guide To Boxing Gyms In Toronto" is due out this month.
This guide comes out every fall, and it is that time again.

There are a few changes this time.

The "Irrivocable zero-star" rating has been removed. Gyms can now request a re-review after one year to "correct" zero-star ratings. Meaning that the zero-star rating will appear in the guide only twice, instead of indefinately as before.

Any gym can request a re-review if they feel that a review is inaccurate or outdated within 60 days after the report has been published. Otherwise, they will have to wait until the next publication (the following fall). The exceptions to this are for "zero-star" ratings as listed above, and gyms that I am currently attending. Gyms that I am currently attending can not request a re-review and must wait until the following review period (12 months later).

Added to the reviews this time are: Athlete-To-Coach Ratio, total number of coaches, and approximate number of athletes. An acceptable ratio in this category is 4:1 or better. 
Also added are: Availability of parking and public transit access. 

Offers To Compete has been changed from a star-rating to a percentage. This percentage is based on an average of four bouts per year. Therefore, it is possible for a gym to score above 100% in this category. An acceptable percentage for this category is 100% or higher.

I have also added a cost-rating ($, $$, $$$, $$$$, $$$$$) to services and sales offered by each gym in addition to the cost of attending the gym. These are based on an average of what all rated gyms charge for these services. The fewer ($) indicates a lower average cost.

A new gym review this year is Cabbagetown Boxing Club. 
Welcome to "The Guide".


METROPOLIS COMMUNITY RADIO IS BACK!

We are currently full-time test broadcasting. Links to players are to the right of this blog.
Right now, we are running automation at all times and just streaming various types of music.
I would appreciate your feedback if you notice something wrong. If there is no sound, or poor-quality sound, or the sound is garbled, please message me with the folowing: What you heard, or didn't, time and date it happened, the player you were using, and the closest major city and the country in which you were listening. That way, I can have someone check the server that is serving that area. 

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:

MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT

ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

We Are Entering You Into the Silver Gloves...No We're Not! (Haha)

    ENTRY 466


WE ARE ENTERING YOU INTO THE SILVER GLOVES.......NO WE'RE NOT (HAHA)

Yes. This is a complaint.

I have to say that I am extremely disappointed with something that recently happened at the Cabbagetown Boxing Club.

I was told that if I had met a particular set of criteria, that I would be entered into the Silver Gloves tournament.
Although I said I didn't really want to do tournaments this year, the coach offered to send me because I had done everything expected and had worked really hard this year.
Not wanting to let down the coach, I agreed to go.
I changed my schedule, moved things around, and even asked for time off work, which cost me $220 by-the-way. 
After all that was done, my coach told me that the head coach said that I wasn't allowed to go. The reason was apparently due to my last bout ending in an RSC-1, that was 10 months ago. A lot has changed since then.
First of all, my last bout is always going to be an RSC-1 unless I am given the chance to try again. Hello?
Secondly, the head coach must not have a lot of confidence in his coaches if he doesn't believe in what they can do.
Third, the head coach is never there. I have seen him three times in the year and a half that I have been training at Cabbagetown. How the hell could he possibly know what I have been doing if he is never there to see it? He thinks I don't do anything. If he wants to be head coach, then he needs to get his butt into the gym and do some damn coaching. Watch what the fuck his athletes are doing. Otherwise, turn the job over to someone else, but if he does that he also forfeits being able to make such decisions.
Fourth, I had already been invited to go. That means "Yes". That's it. You don't say "Yes" to someone, and then turn around and say "No" a couple of days later. That is disrespectful and also causes a breach of trust. 
Who does that?

I mean, who cares if my last bout was an RSC? Move on and do better the next time. That is what being an athlete is all about.

Now I have a weekend off with nothing to do for $220. Is Cabvbagetown going to reimburse that? Of course no. 
What am I going to do now for an entire weekend off? Masturbate to '80s music videos?

I am going to a boxing gym specifically to be a boxer. I could go to Planet Fitness for $10 a month if I just wanted to jog on the treadmill for a few minutes a day. 

I put a lot into boxing. I travel from home 45 minutes to get there, and 20 minutes from work, and when I go from work my wife drops off my gear at Castle Frank subway station, so I don't have to carry all my boxing crap to work. Then I train every morning for at least 90 minutes. 
I even got into an argument with my manager at work over a stupid staff meeting that was going to prevent me from going to the gym. I could have been fired over it because I was still on probation at the time. That is how much I cared.

Yes, I am Beyond Pissed-off. 
The only reason I don't leave Cabbagetown is because of the quality of coaching. The coaching there is off-scale, and I don't know if I would be able to get such high-quality coaching elsewhere.
That being said, I don't need coaching if I am not going to be competing, because that is just a waste of everybody's time.

I was considering going to Sully's. It is one of few boxing gyms in Toronto that I have not yet attended.
They moved again, too. Sully's moves as often as I change gyms. They used to be near Dufferin and Dupont. Now they are near Dufferin and Dundas. They are in the basement of a hardware store. I actually wouldn't mind looking at what they have to offer. I already know the coach there, but they are also very expensive. $120 per month. Cabbagetown is a lot less than that. 
However, for me, training without knowing when I will be able to compete is stupid. 
I agree that coaches need to set expectations for their athletes. Otherwise, they are not good coaches. The thing is that they need to make those expectations clear from the get-go. Don't lead on somebody, and then disappoint him over something stupid.

One idea I had was to train at two gyms simultaneously, but Boxing Ontario had a shit. I forgot that Boxing Ontario is to Boxing what Kim Jong-un is to North Korea.

I have decided to keep training at Cabbagetown for now, but by December when I have to renew by Boxing Ontario membership, I will have to decide where I am going to train. That gives Cabbagetown about two months to "fix" this. I don't know how they are going to "fix" this or even if they can, but that is really not my problem now. The ball is in their court.

What hurts more is that back during my birthday, I did a Facebook fundraiser for Cabbagetown Youth Centre. I raised $100 for them. That is not a lot, but I didn't have to do it, and I will never do anything like that ever again.

This just goes to prove that nobody can be trusted.


THE SARCASM HAS BEEN RELEASED

For those who know me or have been reading this blog for a while, you know that once my sarcasm has been released, it is very difficult to get it caged-up again.

Since the head coach feels that I don't do anything, from now on when I sign in at Cabbagetown, I am going to write in the 'Program' column what more closely reflects what the head coach thinks I do there. For example, on Friday I was sleeping:

The next time I am in will be Monday. I'm not sure what I will be doing then. Maybe I'll be preparing cocktails. 
Drink, anyone?

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

No Bout This Time, But How 'Bout Next Time?

    ENTRY 465


NO BOUT THIS TIME, BUT HOW 'BOUT NEXT TIME?...

Lots of stuff to cover this time, and not all boxing related, but all things that I feel are importatnt to share with you.

First of all, I did not get an opponent for the Cabbagetown Festival this past weekend.

I remember when I used to get frustrated when I couldn't compete, but now not so much. I'm at a good gym and I am happy training and sparring. However, that doesn't mean that I never want to compete. 
My goal is once per year. I'm happy with that. If I get two in a year, that's fine, but I don't really need more than that right now. 

I am waiting for a coach to tell me that I am ready to start competing again. 
I am still recovering from that piss-poor performance at last year's Golden Gloves.
...so when a coach says, 'Do you want to compete again?', I will compete again.

That being said, on Thursday, a coach asked me if I wanted to be in the Silver Golves.
I guess that's it. The moment I was waiting for. However, I told him I would think about it. Like I said, I'm still recovering from the Golden Gloves.
He asked me again on Friday. Although, Friday was different. The head coach, Peter, was in. Coach said to me, 'Do you want to ask Peter to register you for the Silver Gloves?' 
I once again said that I would think about it. 
I have until September 18 to register. That gives me a couple of weeks.
I'm really not sure about tournaments. Tournaments stress me. I don't know what it is, but I find tournamnets put on by Boxing Ontario to be somewhat disorganized. Go there, wait here, go here, wait there. The fuck? Do I get a piece of cheese when I'm finished all the running around through the maze? 
Weigh-in is so damn early, too. 8 AM, and then you usually don't step into the ring until 8 PM. Really? 12 hours? A lot can happen in 12-hours. Your opponent could go and feed his fat face and gain 10 pounds in 12 hours.

...and then it will also depend on if I can get the time off work. 
However, I am so angry at that place right now, I really don't give a flying fuck. 
Long story.

As it stands, I'm still thinking.


RAdiO C: \65 IS RETURNING (SORT OF)

If you remember my company Metroloplis Community Media had kind of fizzled out over the past few months due to server problems and legal issues.
Well, I am pleased to announce that the legal issues have been solved. As well, we have found a new server, well several of them actually. We will be using a relay server system. This will allow listeners to stream from a server closer to where they are listening, and it also takes load off of our master server.
We have three local streaming servers that relay to other servers around the world.
We have a server in Agincourt (Kennedy and Sheppard) servicing the east end and streaming to a relay in Manchester, UK. Another server in Cabbagetown (Parliament and Carlton) will service downtown and North York and stream to a relay in Osaka, Japan. The final local server will be in The Junction (Dundas and Keele) and will service the west end and stream to a relay in New York, NY. The master server and studio will remain in The Stockyards (Runnymede and St. Clair W.).
We are currently testing the servers and hope to be back up by the end of September with some test part-time broadcasts. We hope to be back to 24/7 brodacasting by December.

We have also changed the name of the station from RAdIo C: \65 back to Metropolis Community Radio to more closely reflect what the station is intended to do, bring "local programming" to the world.

Look for a link to the new station to the right of this blog.

As for Metropolis TV, we are currently not producing any programming, but archived programming is still available to view on YouTube.


WORKING ON MY NEWEST E-NOVEL

My "fifth" e-novel is in the works. 
It is titled "Perfect". It is a science fiction. Some of my previous short stories were science fiction, but I have moved away from that recently to try other types of writing. I like writing sceince fiction for one reason, it doesn't have to make sence. People will believe anything they read in science fiction because it's science fiction. The most blatantly obvious example of that is the Death Star. Remember the Death Star from Star Wars? Tell me one thing. How the hell do you build something that big in the middle of space with zero gravity? Then one got destroyed and they just went ahead and built another. Just like that. No problem. Yeah, sure, but they got away with it becasue it is science fiction. That kind of bullshit is allowed in science fiction but nowhere else.

"Perfect" is currently in progress in it's second writing. It was pre-released (not officially published) last year for test readings, but most people didn't like it due to the lack of conflict. In this re-write, I am making sure to add more conflict and less revolving around the thoughts of the central character.

I will let everyone know once it has been published.

MY STORIES:

Obfuscation (science fiction, short), 2015 {AWARD WINNER}
Unsupported File Format (science fiction, short), 2015 {AWARD WINNER}
Five Days Left (science fiction, short), 2015 {AWARD WINNER}
Cinema 13 {horror, science fiction, short}, 2015
Sodium Vapour (horror, science fiction, short), 2015
Zone 17 (horror, science fiction, short), 2015
Route 33A (humor, drama, short) 2016
Jane and Wilson (humor, incomplete) 2016-?
In-Security (humor, based on true, novel), 2017
Perfect (science fiction, unpublished), 2018
The Coach (humor, drama, novel), 2018 {POPULAR}
The 58th Floor (horror, supernatural, science fiction, novel) 2019
So You Wanna Be A Boxer? [Sequel to 'The Coach'] (humor, drama, novel), 2019
Existence Is Futile (science fiction, post-apocalyptic, incomplete), 2019-?
I'm Canadian, I'm Sorry (humor, sarcastic, incomplete), 2019-?
AM--1360 (drama, incompele), 2019-?
Perfect [Re-write] (science fiction, incomplete), IN PROGRESS


paulbrec PHOTOGRAPHY WINNERS

My novels may not be doing so well lately, but my photos are rockin'. 
Here are my most recent contest winners:

                           

WON OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT--AUGUST 2019

WON MASTERPIECE AWARD--AUGUST 2019

WON BEST COMPOSITION AWARD--AUGUST 2019

WON PEER AWARD--AUGUST 2019

WON GREAT CAPTURE AWARD--AUGUST 2019

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

Cabbagetown Festival Card ~ I Have Been Boxing For How Long?

    ENTRY 464


CABBAGETOWN FESTIVAL

Hey everyone.  It has been a while since the last entry. It is summer, I was busy with a new job, and generally summer is a slow time of year for boxing. However, things are picking up.

September 7 is the Cabbagetown Festival, and as usual, Cabbagetown Boxing Club will be hosting it's annual amateur boxing card.

I have been entered in 175 lbs. class. That means that we are waiting for a response from another coach who has a boxer in the same category.

I have not competed at all so far this year, and I have been working very hard. I need to redeem myself after that piss-poor performance at the Golden Gloves last December in Niagara Falls.

I will admit to picking up a lot of bad habits, especially from the lest gym I attended. I was a better boxer while I was at Stockyards. I left Stockyards for a reason that I can't remember. Then I went to the Toronto Boxing Acadamy which at the time was an Ontario Boxing Association gym. Then I left there when the OBA lost their license, and went to Xtreme Couture. They were terrible, and I ended up picking up bad habits due to poor coaching and their odd training techniques.

One of my current coaches verified that by saying that some coaches don't like coaching Masters, and that has been my feeling all along, and it was nice to have someone agree and understand my position.

The interesting part is the reason I chose to attend Xtreme Couture, and it was a mistake.

"The Heartbreaker" with coach at Stockyards Boxing Club
. ©2017 paulbrec Photography

I was at attending a card at Stockyards as a spectator, and there was a bout between Mike from Xtreme verses Peter "The Heartbreaker" from Cabbagetown. The end result was that Peter knocked Mike right onto his ass in the first round. What did I do? I decided to attend Xtreme. Yeah. Good idea. Go to the gym where the guy got knocked right out. To this day I have no idea why I did that. I ended up going to Cabbagetown anyway, and I could have saved a year by just going there right away instead of going to Xtreme. To be honest, after attending Xtreme for a year myself, I am not surprised that guy got knocked onto his ass. Their training is so screwed right up. I have never seen amateur boxers trained the way they do there.



Anyway, I'm at a decent gym now with coaches that can acually coach.
Thank you to the coaches at Cabbagetown Boxing Club and my fellow boxers who work with me five times a week. If it wasn't for all of you, I would still be full of bad habits.

I hope to get an opponent for September 7, so I can make up for last year and practice what I have learned over the past year, and bring in a 'W'.

Join us at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre on September 7 for boxing in the afternoon and a dance in the evening. In support of the Cabbagetown Youth Centre. Enjoy the rest of the Cabbagetown Festival along Parliament Street all weekend.


I HAVE BEEN BOXING FOR HOW LONG?

You know, I had actually forgotten how long I have been boxing? I have always thought it was six years, but it is actually longer. I found a photo that was taken of me at Stockyards in 2013, and I was at another boxing gym before that. It is actually eight years.
My first bout was in 2015 at Stockyards, before there was a Masters Division in Ontario. I remember wearing 12 oz. gloves, and it felt like I wasn't wearing any gloves at all.
That first bout in April of 2015 is now forever immortalized on the wall of the Cabbagetown Boxing Club in the form of a poster. Right directly next to the men's room mind you, but still...

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

The Brick's Guide To Boxing In Toronto--Fourth Edition

    SPECIAL ENTRY 


GUIDE TO STARTING BOXING IN TORONTO (OR ANYWHERE)

Welcome to another guide to Boxing in Toronto.
This one will be a bit different. I will not be rating or ranking the boxing gyms this time. 
This will be a guide on how to get started in boxing..Even if you don't live in Southern Ontario you may find this guide helpful as it will take you through the steps of how to become a  competitive boxer that can be applied almost anywhere.

Please now enjoy "The Brick's" Guide To Boxing -- Fourth Edition

So you wanna be a boxer?
The first question you should ask your self is, "Are you sure you wanna be a boxer?"
I say that because boxing is not like other sports.
It is not only the oldest sport but also the most difficult. Both ESPN and MSN have deemed boxing as the the most demanding sport in the world. Even within the top 10 the rank between sports is different between ESPN and MSN, but both placed boxing at number one.
That means that if you wanna be a boxer, you have to be ready.
Boxing requires stamina, hand-eye coordination, speed and agility.

SO YOU WANNA BE A BOXER?

I personally don't recommend trying boxing if it has been a while since you have been exercising.
You should start slowly and work your way into it. Of course, if you are already in spectacular shape, it may be okay to jump right into boxing. However, just like any exercise program you should get clearance from your physician first.

I will give you an idea of how boxers train later in this article, but first you need to find a coach and trainer. This process is probably the most time-consuming part of your start to a boxing career.

The search for a good coach takes time. You may even have to try working with a few before you find one you can connect with.

Here are some tips on how to search for a coach: Attend some local amatuer boxing shows and study the coaches. Look at how they intereact with their athletes and also with  the officials. 

Once you find one you are interested in, try to get feedback from the althetes who are already working with that particular coach.

From there you should collect information about the boxing club where that coach works. Location is important and also the hours. Some boxing gyms have very limited hours. 

Now, if you like the coach and the gym, make an arrangement to meet the coach at the gym.
I always like to notify the coach in advance that I would like to meet him, instead of just walking into the gym unannounced.

Some notes about coaches and gyms.
From my own experience, many coaches do not like coaching Masters division boxers. This category is for athletes over the age of 35. I found many coaches ignore or only provide absolute bare-minimum guidance to Masters. The reason for this is unclear, but I have heard a few reasons floating around. The reason is not important, but finding a Masters-friendly gym and coach is part of the searching process if you fall into that category.
Also, for everyone, avoid gyms that appear to be "commercialized". I find that the best coaches are those at gyms that are run by a non-profit organization. This is not to say that you won't find a good coach at other boxing gyms as well. I guess what I mean is to avaoid gyms that "OVER-commercialized".
Also try to avoid "boxing gyms" that also offer fitness-only classes. Try to locate a real boxing gym. They are getting harder to find but still exist. The so-called boxing gyms that also offer fitness classes tend to lean focus on the fitness and less on the boxing. To get the best boxing experience the gym should be focused only on boxing or fitness classes that are directly related to boxing.

Okay, so you have spent two months or so finding your ideal coach and boxing gym, now what?

Now, you start the fun part. Your training regiment. 

Your coach will first guide you on what gear you will need for training and also what your training will involve.
Generally speaking, if you are a beginner you will need to take basic boxing classes before anything else. The length of time you will need to spend as a beginner will depend on how fast you learn. Follow the guidance of your coach.

Training is generally 60 to 90 minutes per day for at least three times per week, but to take it seriously, I recommend going five times a week.
The sessions will almost always contain tradional exercises, weight training, technical drills, and cardio. Technical drills may include target-pad work, shadow boxing, and non-contact sparring.

A note on sparring.
After you have been at the gym a few times, and you notice others in the ring doing real sparring, you will for sure want to try it.
One misconception about boxing is that you can step in off the street and right into the ring to spar. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Beginners are not allowed to spar full-contact. Generally, you will need to be assessed by the coach to see if you are ready. Even then, there is an administrative process involved.
This is the point where you begin the process of becoming a boxer.
You will need to register yourself as a competitive athlete with your sanctioning organization. For example, in the province of Ontario, the organizatin that sanctions boxing is Boxing Ontario. Contrary to popular belief, Boxing Ontario is not a government organization. It is a non-profit organization that is licensed by the government to oversee the sport of boxing in Ontario.
There used to be two such organizations. Up until 2017, there was also the Ontario Boxing Association. The OBA was an extension of the World Boxing Council. It also had different rules from that of Boxing Ontario. However in 2017, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport revoked the OBA's license after a change in the laws governing combat sports in Ontario. The decisition was made amongst concerns over althete safety.

In addition to sanctioning boxing in Ontario, Boxing Ontario is also responsible for providing insurance for its athletes. Many Ontarians don't know this, but the Ontario public heath insurance does not cover sports injuries. The sanctioning organizations are legally required to provide injury insurance for all of their athletes.

When you are ready, your coach will explain the process required to register yourself with your repective sanction.

USA Boxing Master's passbook

Once registgered, you will receive a passbook, which many mistake as a license.  It is not a license. Licenses are issued by the government. Your boxer's passbook is your boxing passport. Everytime you step into the ring to compete, an official signs off in your book. It also contains all of your previous opponents and the results.
However, a passbook is also required for full-contact sparring. It is your proof that you have insurance coverage, which is required for full-contact sparring.

Now you are ready for your first sparring session. I won't lie. Your first time sparring wil be scary.
I always have said, once you have sparred the first time and come back again, you can call yourself a boxer.

Once you are used to sparring, you should spar as much as possible but not over-do it. 
As with everything else, follow your coach's guidance when it comes to sparring.
If your coach tells you "no more sparring", it is for your own good. That being said, your coach may want you spar more. It may be that he feels that you need more work or he wants to evaluate your performance.
In all cases, always listen to your coach.

The boxing sanction will place you into a category.
If you chose to do more than just sparring and want to compete, the category you are placed in will determine who your opponents will be and any specific rules for your division.
For example, some divisions have shorter rounds or use a different sized gloves.
There are also different weight classes. Also, right now only in Ontario, there are age categories within the weight classes. This began in 2007 when Boxing Ontario started receiving complaints about there being too much age difference in the boxers. Although, age really doesn't matter that much, Boxing Ontario created the age categories anyway, so now there is a maximum age spread between boxers amongst everything else.
The age spread is 10 years for most divisions.

There is also a Novice and an Open category for the Elite and Masters divisions.
Up to and including 10 bouts you are a Novice and can only have another Novice as an opponent. In tournaments, they spit that category into Novice and Sub-novice. The latter being boxers with only up to five bouts.
After 10 bouts, you become Open. The rules are slightly different and your rounds will be longer. It also means that your opponents will only be Open with no limit on the number of bouts.

Boxing Ontraio boxer's classifications (may apply to other jurisdictions as well):

Elite (19-34) Novice: 3x2 rounds,  Open: 3x3 rounds
Masters (35+) Novice: 3x1.5 rounds  Open 3x2 rounds
Female (19-34) Novice: 3x2 rounds  Open: 4x2 rounds
Boxers 11 - 18 are classed as Youth or Junior A,B,C depening on age.
Initiation division for ages 8-10 are exhibition bouts only called 'Funbox'.

Novice bouts are resticted to a maximum of three Standing-8 counts per bout.
Masters division uses 16 oz. gloves in all competition bouts.

That is how you start yourself in boxing.

Also, talk to other boxers as well. Boxers who have been in it for a while can be very helpful in getting new people involved in the sport.


MORE INFO:

Boxing Sanctions

Boxing Ontario (Local Sanction)
Boxe Quebec (Local Sanction)
Boxing BC (Local Sanction)
Boxing Alberta (Local Sanction)
USA Boxing (United States Sanctioning Body)
Boxing Canada (National Team Sanction)

Government

Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport

Not-For-Profit Boxing Clubs (Ontario)

Cabbagetown Boxing Club (Toronto) [Master's friendly]
Corcoran's Boxing Club (Peterborough) [Formerly BEL Boxing Club]
McGrory's Boxing Club (Hamilton)


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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

Cabbagetown Crew At the Bronze Gloves ~ One Year Anniversary

    ENTRY 463


ONE YEAR WITH CABBAGETOWN

It has now been exactly one year this week since I started traing at Cabbagetown.
I have to say it has been a very productive year.
The coahes at Cabbagetown Boxing Club did a lot of work, and continue to do a lot of work, to repair four years of having Crappycoachitis. They have done a very good job and for that I thank them.

As I have mentioned, I will not  be entering any tournaments this year, but I am looking forward to being in one local club event.
I am concentrating all my efforts on that.



CABBAGETOWN CREW AT THE BRONZE GLOVES

This weekend is the Bronze Gloves tournament at the Westin Airport Hotel.
There are a few Cabbagetown boxers on the card and I am not going to mention all of them because you know that I will forget at least one.

In case I can't make it out to watch, I want to extend my best to all of my teammates who will be repesenting Cabbagetown this weekend.


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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL 

Gone But Not Forgotten

    ENTRY 462


GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

I just wanted to shoot out a quick update since it has been a while.
The truth is that two things have happened that have kept me from boxing and blogging over the last few weeks.
I had just started with a new company and I was concentrating on that, plus I was very sick.

I just came back to sparring on Friday and I did 9 rounds.

I stole this photo from a Facebook post.
I don't get too many photos of my sparring and it is nice when someone thinks to get one.
Thank you for posting this.

Although I am still getting over being sick. I am now finally setting into my new workplace,
The reason for leaving the other company is a very long story, but it was for the best.

I will be getting back into my full boxing schedule this week. 
I have dropped to 177 lbs. and I hope to keep it that way.
Although, I plan on cutting down on competing, I still want to do a couple of local events per year.
I have not done one yet this year as I (my coach) was waiting for my weight to drop below 178, and now it has. 
Now I will be concentrating on keeping my weight down and training for the next Cabbagetown card.



BOXING GYM GUIDE OUT SOON

Just a reminder that the next edition of "The Brick's Guide To Boxing In Toronto" is due out by mid-June.
If you have any additions or edit suggestions, PM me.




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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL