Boxing

Went boxing today. Left the house at 7 PM and got there at 7:55 PM around Oranienburger Tor. It was in a shady ally way and Kev and I joked about going into a fight club. We stepped into a dingy hallway, and I heard screeches of boxing shoes skidding on the floor. It smelled like sweat and body odor. It was great. Reminded me of going to fencing. My hands afterward smelled like a dead 9-day-old carcass. It took vinegar and soap and really hot water to get the stench out back at home.

Boxing was AWESOME. We jumped right in. The coach, Stefan, showed us some basics and we just got to drilling and practicing. Hitting the bag was great - POOM, POOM, POOM. Then we sparred. I didn't spar at first b/c I was the only one that didn't have a mouthguard. But this guy came up and said we were sparring. So I sparred with him. He was a regular. Older, maybe 27. Completely bald with a pasty white head and a right eye that told of an ugly past punch. So you can imagine the intimidation when I started sparring with him. He had a helmet and mouthguard, I didn't. It took a jab in the face to get me out of the mindset of doing drills - I was aiming at his gloves until the jab. "Ok, you're not drilling anymore." Used basics I learned from fencing - footwork, balance, keep distance, wait for the right moment. Finally got into it and I eventually landed a solid hit on his face. He stopped the fight after that. I think it was time. He went easy on me, but it was a great first day.

We stopped at 8 PM sharp. I need to get my own gloves. My hands wreak of rotting.