Day 1 of 100 Days of Boxing:

November 15th, 2023

8:09 am 56F

Rounds: 6

Location: Garage

Audio: Ethiopian Jazz (Spotify radio station)

Context: over the next 100 days I will be boxing and sharing thoughts here.

Not thrilled about the prospect of breaking a sweat today. Resistance to movement and heavy breathing was real. So I decided to kick things off at a slow pace, continuing a recent favorite exercise to refine my footwork, especially the pivots.

Initially, pivoting felt awkward, but now it's become a valuable technique for creating angles and maintaining a strategic edge in the ring. Throughout the workout, I thought about the chessboard strategy of trading pawns for bishops and vice versa. Inevitably I will get hit, planning to counter with stronger punches to offset any tactical vulnerabilities is the core to this chess comparison.

I recently discovered that initiating the session at a slower pace and engaging the entire body chain in warm-up sets the stage for a more effective and sustainable workout. It seems like giving the body time to rev up pays off. This “vibe”, as one can describe it, was formed from watching soviet boxing videos, they seem to focus on the acrobatics and the physiological science of connecting punches efficiently, from back foot to hips to shoulders. From this perspective, boxing is almost a dance with very powerful rotational movements. I find them beautifully simple for head movement while gaining ground to strike.

Of late, I’ve noticed that I consistently finish stronger than my initial start, both physically and mentally. The positive trend continues even hours after the boxing session. Surprisingly, footwork drills prove handy while navigating the kitchen or managing chores with my two energetic dogs in tow. The crossover benefits are starting to manifest beyond the gym, making every slow start worthwhile.

Looking forward to another bag session. Best part is, I can put on some music, get loose, and see where the rounds take me.