[Diego Lara]

OK guys, been gone for a while, but just regrouping my head and getting to push harder than before. Last Wed was the last day I went to the gym. Had a quick two rounds with Kabuki that were good, after which Kabuki sparred our gymmate T for 2 dramatic rounds (for more on this, please refer to Kabuki's log). I finished with 2 rounds with T that were a tad disappointing both in pace and the fact that I felt he was hanging back and not giving me the full workout he could have. Since then I've taken it easy on the training, running a few miles each day but mostly prepping myself to apply for my amateur license and working on that most unmexican of techniques, slipping and ducking.


Mon 8/13: Ran 10 times around the park this morning, I believe that to be close to 3 miles (correct me if I'm wrong Kabuki). After dinner with Kabuki's mom (at which I stupidly ate TWO helpings of her baked ziti), got 100 pushups and 100 v-ups. Tomorrow I'm back at Top Rank, and money permitting, I'll apply for my boxing license before the weekend.

Oh and to answer good ol' Juan Leche's question: Yo soy de California, pero mis parientes son de Jalisco, cerca de Guadalajara. Viva los Tapatios!!!

Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Oh and that slimmer belt works miracles on your belly. Anything that causes your abs to contract on a regular basis will lead to a tighter and tougher torso, which is why bodyshots and medicine balls to the stomach are also helpful.

[Diego Lara]

One thing most Mexican fighters have never been known for is impressive defense. Through most of boxing's history, we've relied on brute fore and work ethic to achieve the heights that many Hispanic fighters have achieved in the sport. Will I beat the archetype of the bulldozer brawling Mexican that will take a beating to give one? Only time will tell.

7:00 am: Out of bed and watch Marquez vs Vazquez II and Ponce de Leon vs Penalosa. Do 5 laps around the park.

10:30 am: Arrive at the gym, Kabuki and T are already gearing up. They go 3 rounds, then T and I go four more. After that, 4 more rounds of heavy bag. I need to work on sitting on my punches more and not moving as I throw. After this, 4 more rounds on the body snatcher, and I'm done for the morning.

10:55 pm: Time for good ol 100 V-ups/ push ups, then bed. Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

8/15: Good workday. I feel nice and destroyed.

6:30 am: Watch Gerry Penalosa beat the pants off a Mexican and reclaim his world title in impressive fashion. Then sprints at the park through sprinklers and slippery death-trap grass.

10:30 am: Gym time. 5 min of warm up, and today I'm working on my shoulders to get them stronger and use them more effectively when throwing. 5x10 sets each of diamond push-ups, elevated push-ups (first feet then arms), pull ups, and shoulder pulls with weights set at 75. In between, keep warm with shadow boxing and skipping rope. Training cut short by worktime, again.

8:00 pm: Time for a night workout. 2 rounds warm up skipping rope,4 sets of curb steps, 2 rounds elevation drills, I round of step overs with a brick (you try doing more than that), then finish with 3 rounds with my good ol friend, the double end bag. This time I only got hit half the time woo-hoo! That calls her a night, except for those 100 v-ups before bed. There's no way in hell I can do anymore push-ups today.

I really wanna step up my training regimen, because I want to fight by winter, and I haven't yet reached the caliber of skill that can make me a contender. Strength and guts, I've got, but I wanna be more than that, and now more than ever I realize that I can use my time more effectively to get more done in and out of the gym. Turning 22 somehow made me realize that I've wasted alot of time in my life (otherwise I could've been boxinf sooner), and though I know I'm not a geezer yet, I know I can work harder and apply more focus and energy to all aspects of life, especially this sport that I've grown to love for what it's done for me in a very short time. Expect to see longer workouts and bigger work ethic in the coming days. 22 is gonna be the year I become a man.

Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

8/17: 6:30 am: Watch my hero Salvador Sanchez fight Rubin Castillo, a good fight that I hadn't seen before and one where I saw Salvador get a run for his money. Good fight for both of them, and it definitely showed me a few pointers on technique. 2.8 miles around the park, and for some reason the heat and humidity almost made me puke....

10:30 am: Gym time. 10 min warm up, then 4 rounds of light work on the heavy bag. Next, go 6 rounds wih good ol Liu Jin. Haven't sparred him in a minute, and right off the bat I'm amazed by how much faster and stronger his hands are. I've gotta get quicker on the draw and improve my defense or I'm gonna get my ass kicked.
I take it easy in the first, just trying to feel his rhythm and figure out what works and what doesn't. My slipping and head movement needs work, but at least I'm not standing still and square before him anymore. Round 2 was still a bit sluggish for me, and I realize that almost every time Liu throws a hook to my head, he lands it. His hooks are crisp and lightning fast, so I've gotta adapt my style to defend them more. In the 3rd or 4th round, he lands good right hook to my chest, and I FEEL the thing. Still I pace myself, focus on defense and throwing when he throws, and keep moving away from his power hand (left).
In the 5th, my phantom trainer Richie finally shows up and starts yelling about me moving my hips and shoulders too much (which he previously complained I didn't do enough), and tells me I need to chase punches with my right hand to block and jab more. I was feeling like I was really getting into the swing of things, and his interruption completely threw me off. I wouldn't mind his interjections so much if he would actually take the time to TRAIN me more instead of ignoring me all week and then when I spar, getting in and telling me I'm doing it all wrong. Perhaps if he took less time to watch other guys spar and more time to work on technique with me, I wouldn't make those mistakes in the ring. Needless to say, I was more than a little frustrated and angry that the only time he even notices me is when I spar, and not always even then. I feel like I'm paying this man for nothing but a once weekly berating, and I can get that elsewhere for free any day of the week. Yes, I'm venting and I'm frustrated with my trainer now, but I think the time may be nigh for a change of trainers and a step up. I can't afford to be paying someone to not train me, I need someone who believes they can do something with me and take me as high as I can possibly go, or else I'm just wasting my time and money.
Still, for now I shut my mouth, nod my head, and do as I'm told. I chase Liu's punches, and it works a little. In the fifth I got too low and accidentally gave Liu a nut punch, but he understood that I wouldn't do that on purpose. All Richie had to say was: "At least he knows you're there now." All I could think was: "How the fuck would you know, you were in your office reading a newspaper for the majority of the session.
In the 6th, Richie succeeded in riling me up enough to let go more. I turned up the pressure and just tried to throw as much as I could, regardless of getting hit. Hey, anger is quite a motivator. No matter how good I get, Liu will always have size and speed over me, and that's ok. I like sparring guys bigger than me; I'm gonna be big for a 130lb fighter, and this will only make me stronger, faster, and more apt to maul the opponents in my division. I was angry when I left the gym, and Richie didn't say a word to me after the sparring, but I felt better about myself by days end. I didn't gas out during the session, I used footwork and defense at least somewhat effectively, and I adapted when I needed to. I can't always see when I'm improving, but I certainly don't feel as useless as when I first started at Top Rank, and that's enough to keep me going. Liu says I've gotten markedly better, and I trust his opinion more than most. For now, that keeps me going. I've never felt like I've won a sparring session, but I know it's not really about that. I get better every time I spar, and that I know cuz I don't feel as tired or beat up as I used to. I don't even had a headache, and like I said I took quite a few name-brand Liu left hooks to the head today. That keeps me going.

Now it's time for pushups and v-ups, 100 each. Next week I'll grade up to 150, and we'll keep moving forward from there. I love this bxing stuff, I live it more and more each day, and I'm finally starting to feel as though I'm worthy of the moniker "fighter". I've been fighting all my life, but now it's not just about survival. It's about conquering my demons, and later, the world. Damn my arms hurt. Firefox out.

[Liu Jin]

I'm going to tell my children you tried to end them before they began.

[Diego Lara]

SAT 8/18: Sat the gym's closed, so we usually train at Red Rock. Today, cuz of time restrictions, we train at home. Start off with 3m run, then mitt sprints. 3 rounds, 1st one is ones and twos, second is hooks, third is uppercuts. Follow this with 3 rounds of mitt work, focusing on slipping, ducking, counterpunching, and other defense skills. Switch, and Liu does 6 straight rounds of mitt sprints. Then it's 3 rounds on the double end and 3 rounds on the speed bag. These are two that I don't work very well, so my next goal is to focus on working these more at home on my own time. 100 v-ups and push-ups finishes the day.

SUN 8/19: Off day. Only 100 pushup-/v-ups today.

MON 8/20: Another off day, thnking of working double end and speed bag this evening if time permits. 3m run around the park, and today I raise the amount of push/v-ups to 150. Question: Is it better to pump out the v and push-ups all at the same time, or are they equally effective if they are spread out through the day. I usually do these in one sitting over the course of an hour, but on some of my busier days, I find myself pumping them out at home, later at work, and still later wherever I might find myself to be in the evenings. Does spreading out these exercises nullify their effectiveness? Lemme know your thoughts on this.
Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Took most of last week off to work overtime in the store. Gotta get those bills paid man! Now we're back in the swing of things, so let me start off with yesterday's training sesh.

Mon 8/27: 7 am: Fight time. Watch Oliver McCall vs Lennox Lewis both 1 and 2. The second fight was strange to say the least, never seen a fighter have a nervous breakdown in the ring, and I gotta say that his is one of the more tragic and intruiging stories in boxing. If you don't know about him, it's worth finding out. Afterwards, about 1.5m around the park, with a thunderstorm dumping the occasional bucket of water on our heads and then passing.

10:30 am: Gym time. No sparring today, just start off with a ten minute warm-up and stretching. Do 6 rounds on the heavy bag. I've been practicing slipping, ducking, and counterpunching, as well as eliminating my tendency to throw arm punches and instead throw from the shoulders. All in all, I did pretty good. Can't wait to spar again, cuz I know I'm gonna be harder to catch. I'm pretty sure I caught good ol Mike McCallum, my future trainer, watching me.

After gym time it was time for work. Doin 140 v-ups at a time, need to remember to do the pushups as well. And that was Monday's training.

Tue 8/28 6:50 am: Fight time, today featuring Vince Phillips vs Kostya Tszyu. Phillips has a killer right hand, perfected by none other than Kenny Adams, who was training Rodel Mayol for his title fight at Top Rank for the last month. I'd like to fight like Phillips. 2.5m around the park today.

10:30 am: Gym time. Ritchie was out in the gym talking to Liu, and it was the first time I'd spoken to him in over a week. I think it's high time for me to move on to another trainer, one who takes a more active role in making me a better fighter, rather than leave me to my own devices half of the time. More on this later.

I wanted to spar today, but Liu is dealing with wrist and knee injuries, and we both can scarce afford to exacerbate injuries at this point in our training and lives. None of the other guys that I would usually spar are there today, so instead it's focusing on conditioning. 10min warm-up and stretching, followed by 2 rounds of skipping rope. Then it's 2 rounds on the body snatcher, then 3 on the heavy bag. Liu brought attention to the fact that I close my stance and cross my legs alot, and that I have a tendency to stand tall when throwing, rather than hunching down low, which allows me to shoot with more of my legs, torso, and shoulders powering my punches, rather than my arms. No wonder I was getting tired so quickly. We practiced stepping around and also sitting down on my punches, which means not bouncing and having my stance set when I throw. It helps, but it's not something I'm used to, which is gonna take more work over the next few weeks.

After that work, I went to grab a medicine ball and ab roller while Liu talked to Mike some more. When I came back, I overheard Mike tell Liu that he would start tomorrow, and I thought he meant only Liu. But he was talking about me too! Can't say how greatful I was for Liu's way with the other fighters and trainers, it's something that has allowed us to stay and excel at Top Rank. I owe that man a great debt of gratitude for getting me here.

Next was ab work. 50 sit ups with the 10 lb ball, then 45 twists with the ball, which works those lats like nothing else. Then we did 20 roll-outs with the ab roller, starting in a standing postion and ending up almost completely horizontal in a push-up position. Almost there to a complete six pack, just need to trim the last bit of pudge off the bottom two.

After this we were done. As I left, I shook Mike's hand and thanked him for the opportunity he had given Liu and myself. I told I would not let him down, and I intend to make good on that. So tomorrow at 10 am we start our new training with Mr. Mike McCallum, and now I feel we're even closer to getting a fight, and getting these careers off the ground. Now to make some chicken and stuff. Firefox out.

[Liu Jin]

Whoop! Whoop! That's Whoopie kickin' the shit out of Rodney Jones. He won a 12 round decision.



And this man is gonna torture you just like he did Whoopie there:



That was Mike in his prime.

[Diego Lara]

Wed 8/29:Fuck ya man!! There goes my man Whoopie showing just why he is a belt-holder. Whoop is trained by none other than Mike McCallum, who was late showing up at the gym today but told Liu and I we would start training on Friday. Gotta make sure I'm 110% that day so he can see I'm not just messing around. Here's how today's training day went.

7:15 am: Got a late start this morning, my bad. Watched an old favorite, Julio Cesar Chavez go up against Kostya Tszyu, in a fight that gave me more respect for this Russian wildebeast and made me want to find out more about this guy and what made him into such a brutal but skilled fighter. Definitely a fighter who I look up to stylistically. Ran approx. 2m around the park this morning, with the birds chirping and the smell of fresh dog shit wafting to our noses. Yum.

10:30 am: Gym time. We were alone in the gym save for one girl who was warming up in front of the mirrors. Started with stretching exercises, 2 rounds of shadow boxing, and 2 rounds of skipping rope to begin. Next I did 4 rounds on the body snatcher, during which Richie brought attention to the fact that I've got no power behind my punches because I was standing too tall and keeping my legs too close together, which means I was only delivering arm punches. Once again, this, along with my defense, have been my biggest liabilities in boxing so far, and something I mean to correct if it kills me (and if Mike has the patience to teach me). So the last 2 rounds I ignored defense and just worked on throwing hooks and uppercuts from the correct stance, knees bent, feet wide, and using my shoulders, not my arms, to deliver the blows. I noticed the difference in strength and the less energy expended by using the correct form. I WILL get this crap right, and by the next time I spar. Next I did 2 rounds on the soft heavy bag, utilizing the tools I had been working on, and I think I did pretty well for the most part. A Mexican who focuses on form and defense. Who would've thought. Mike finally arrived as I was finishing my last round, and I went to say hi before showering and heading off to work. I'm excited and just a bit apprehensive about starting to train with Mike. I want to take the next step up in my training, but I also understand that with a higher level of training comes a greater responsibility from me to do my part in my daily life to make sure I don't sabotage my training with my lifestyle outside of the ring. I'm not always the most careful of kids, in terms of food, drinking, and partying, but I've calmed down alot in the last few months, and every day I become more determined to excel in this sport and more willing to do the daily work it takes to maintain and improve my strength as an athlete. Boxing is more than a sport, it's a lifestyle, and it demands more than the average person is willing to give. But I've never wanted to be average, in fact I hate the thought of mediocrity in any area of my life, and this alone is enough to keep me going on to the next level. That, and the thought of one day whooping the shit out of a tough-looking mofo in front of thousands of screaming fans, while Larry Merchant drunkenly rants about how I'm too full of myself. Dare to dream. Firefox out.