South Seattle Emerald Feature

BOXING IS FOR EVERYBODY: SIX BOXING CLUBS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE SOUTH END

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Make you feel that way

Usually blog posts that I write are mostly concentrated on boxing techniques and tactics, but today I want to focus on how to increase your longevity in the sport of boxing. When you've been in the boxing game long enough, you’re bound to hear the expression, "You play baseball, you play basketball, but you don't play boxing." With that in mind, it is inevitable that we can get lost in thought about technique, tactics, and methods of conditioning the body. The first thing that we often lose sight of, however, is the reason why we started down this road to begin with.

“On the road to where you are going, never lose sight of why you began”

Boxing, unlike many other competitive sports, is unique in the sense that it not only taxes you physically but also emotionally and psychologically. When you box you’re forced to examine yourself under the most severe and unforgiving of microscopes. I've seen first hand countless talented boxing prospects fall by the wayside because of the inability to deal with this type of daily pressure. I myself can recall multiple instances where boxing began to feel more like a job instead of something that brought joy and fulfillment to my life. I began to dread training and in the solitude of my thoughts I asked myself why am I doing this in the first place. 

These are the exact moments that you have to stop and look back to remember how this journey all began; you have to find the reason why you fell in love with this sport in the first place. For a lot of us, it was the feeling of freedom or the challenge of facing another person in the most basic of human interactions. Whatever your reason was, it was the thing that brought you back each training session, it was the thing that lit the fire in your heart and spirit. Never losing touch with that feeling is what will help to ensure that you can continue to approach this art with a positive and engaged mental attitude. So the next time you're feeling burnt out by training and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, think back to the first time you laced up the gloves and find what made you feel that way. 

Keep it simple and keep on punching.

#reigncityathletics #rcaboxing #seattleboxing

LET GO

In the recent weeks I’ve been ruminating over the many ways my athletes perform outside of controlled drills. Often, during sparring, I watch my athletes place themselves in disadvantageous positions because they are “doing too much” -- too much in the sense of trying to force an interaction with an opponent, to be something that it is not, or trying to force the engagement into fitting a mental picture that they have created.

It’s easy for us -- as people and athletes -- to remain relaxed and composed when we know the parameters and variables within a drill or a situation in life. We are taught in life and, in our boxing, to exert control over situations; for a lack of better verbiage we “make our opponent do what we want them to do.”

Here’s something to consider: control is “not real.”

In actuality, the idea of controlling our opponent hinders us from fully engaging in the interaction that we are having with them. In a verbal discourse, as in boxing, it is almost impossible to predict what the other person is going to say. We may be able guess to a degree what they may want to express, or how they may possibly respond, but we cannot predict the exact words they will use. Having a conversation with this type of mindset creates a jerky conversation where smooth discourse is impossible to create. Instead, you are left speaking in half-phrases, constantly interjecting and never realizing the fullness of the interaction.

The exact same thing happens when we box with the idea of trying to control our opponent’s actions and movements. We are constantly attempting to predict the unpredictable, causing us to defend punches that may never really be coming or moving to places we do not need to be, thus placing ourselves at the disadvantage and harm’s way.

Instead, it would behoove us to invite our opponent to feel free to move and to feel confident that they are able to reach us when and where they want. It is only in this way that we can most effectively counter their offensive.. Any offensive initiative presented to us by our opponent should not be viewed as a threat, but rather as a gift. A gift in the sense that any movement they make to reach us creates openings for us to counter. With this in mind, our counter can only be truly effective if we let our opponent feel confident enough to reach out and touch us, therefore creating avenues for us to counter.

“You see, from your thought to your fist, how much time was lost”

This mindset moves our need for control away from controlling our opponent and into the realm of focusing on our emotions and our tactical mindset.

So the next time you find yourself sparring and your opponent poses a question to you in the form of a punch, allow it to come to you and appropriately respond to it by saying “thank you” and punching them in the face for their troubles.

As always, keep it simple and keep on punching.

NO MIND

Over my years of coaching, I have had a multitude of conversations with both students and trainers about the most effective way to improve counter-punching and defense. Many fighters will often tell you that they saw the opening in their opponent’s defense but just could not capitalize fast enough on the opening. My goal has always been to find a way to shorten that reactive gap. There are various drills and pieces of equipment that are available which claim to do just this. In my experience, developing this attribute has more to do with training the mind rather than training the body. Natural reflex will always be quicker that cognitive thought, especially in high stress situations where the body is placed in an adrenal state.

I will begin by saying that my method of training is not the only way to effectively train, nor will I say that it is the best. With that said, my method of training does focus on a couple major things: attribute development and developing an understanding of the way offense and defense fit together. One of these is attributes that I have been working on with my athletes is a concept known in traditional martial arts as the “Mushin” mind state.

Mushin or the English translation "no mind” is a mental state into which trained martial artists are said to enter during combat. The term is shortened from “Mushin No Shin,” a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the state of "no-mindness". That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought thus open to everything and able to react to stimulus without the need for cognitive reasoning.

Striving for this skill aids in the elimination of discursive thought and judgment, making the person free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and disturbance from analytical thought. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but instead on their instinctive response. It could be said that the mind is working at a very high speed, but with no intention, plan or direction.

 Some believe that Mushin is the state where a person finally understands the uselessness of techniques and becomes truly free to move. In fact, those people will no longer even consider themselves as "fighters" but merely living beings moving through space.

Within our team, we work to achieve this mind state by performing drills that develop reflexive attributes that directly respond to the high percentage scenarios that we are likely to encounter while sparring or competing. These exercises are known by many names, but we call them “perpetual motion” drills. These drills are based on “catching,” or defending an oncoming punch and responding with a set counter. By limiting the countering punches to a known and set combination, we eliminate the need to use creativity to respond to stimulus, thus allowing the fighter to react solely out of instinct. The closest analogy would be the way you would respond to touching a hot object. You do not have a lag between the pain and reaction; your body does the most appropriate action in the moment and drops the hot object.

This type of training is most evident in the method of pad work we use. It should be kept in mind that this type of training is a drill and like all types drills, has its benefits and its drawbacks. Issues such as not fully extending on the punch and dropping the hands from the proper defensive position, this can be rectified by training in conscientious manner focusing on proper technique. This type of training does not negate the need for training the basics, it is merely another tool used to develop combat attributes. In comparison to traditional pad drills where the pad holder and the puncher have a pre-determined set of punches and defenses that are performed in a stop and go fashion, all techniques performed in this type of pad work are continues and done in a completely random manner. It also places focuses more on eliciting a correct defensive response from the boxer than punching power and combinational creativity. Performing drills in this manner create an instinctual reaction in the fighter through repetitive motion where the defense and counter become a single reflexive action.

When training all techniques, tactics, and theories must pass the litmus test of “Can I perform this naturally in a stress situation?” If that is not possible then the technique will not serve you when you need it. Oftentimes in the hunt for creativity and variety in training, we can create a situation where we over complicate techniques and tactics that should be exceptionally simple and natural. By removing the need for cognitive response as well as limiting the punches, the reactive distance from defense to counter gets much shorter and allows for much quicker response times from the fighter.

Keep it simple and keep on punching.

Welcome our new partners, Emperado Kajukenbo Seattle Academy

We're pleased to announce a partnership between RCA and the Emperado Kajukenbo Seattle Academy. Coach Troy is coming onboard as a boxing instructor. Classes are Saturday mornings 10-11am. For more info, contact the Academy here.

Spencer's Story

Staring at a blank page is almost as scary as your first day at a new gym. You’re worried about what people think of you, if people will be nice to you, if you’ll even like the work that you’re doing there. Fortunately at Reign City Athletics (RCA) this was alleviated for me in minutes. Coach Troy from the first second I stepped in the door was my friend and my mentor.

My friend, Morgan, first approached me to join the gym. I was hesitant, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to start something that I had never done before, but after months of persistence, and the start of a new year, I decided that I would do it. Prefacing things is something that I hate, but I feel compelled to do it here: I am not looking for sympathy or throwing myself a pity party. With that out of the way, 2015 has for the most part been a rough year for me. It began with my uncle unexpectedly passing away and quickly transitioned into my being hit by a car while going to school. I was a few months into training at RCA when all of that began. The first words that I heard from Troy when I told him about my uncle and then later about being hit by a car were “Are you okay? If you need anything at all from me let know.” While I was healing, he didn’t let me fall through the cracks; he messaged me and kept in touch making sure I was all right. When I was ready to come back and start training again, he helped me stay grounded and keep myself from overreaching with my injured ankle. My attendance during this time was spotty, but I was always greeted my smiles and excitement at the gym. RCA is like a second home. I know that I can go there and be surrounded by friends.

Let’s talk a little about boxing itself: I took a year or two of Karate when I was younger, but most of my sports career has been spent playing soccer and lacrosse, so I’m not unaccustomed to a physical workout. Every sport you start requires a different set of muscles to be trained and used. I knew this going into it, and behold the first thing that I found out I would be learning is how to walk. I took to that well enough and a day later, I got practice the fine art of walking backwards, and sideways. At RCA, you start by learning the fundamentals. When you know how to walk you get to jab, when you know how to jab you get to learn combinations, etc. etc. This promotes two things: the first is that you’re being taught a way of disciplining your mind and body (that happens to take the form of punching stuff), and secondly that you’re building a foundation in order to become better.

In my time at RCA I’ve worked with veterans and people who just walked through the door, thus I’ve been on both sides of the mentorship/mentee dichotomy. When I work with people that are new to the game, it provides a great learning experience for not just that person, but myself as well. I get to see the things that a new person does wrong or poorly and it gives me a frame of reference for myself. I’m also in the position where I was just there and I can help that person out by telling them what I learned when I was working on what they are working on. On the other side of that when I’m working with someone that has much more experience than I do, I get to work with people that really care about what they are doing, and want to see others grow. Everyone is there to improve. So if I’m working with someone new, asking questions, or working with Troy on the mitts, or someone that’s been boxing for years: information, advice, and encouragement are found in spades.

The end of a session at the gym is a really important moment for me. It’s when I get to talk with someone, and see if they had any critics for me before the next day. And when they have something they saw that I could improve on I get really excited. Because, the next time we do that drill, I’ll remember what that person told me, and I’ll have something that I can focus on improving as I move through the drill. An example that stands out clearly to me is a night where we ended the session with burn outs. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with the term, you spend three minutes throwing punches in rapid succession on a heavy bag. This may sound simple or even easy, let me assure you, it’s not. Especially after the third round. But, you’re training your body to keep going, and to maintain your form while you’re exhausted. I was not brining my hands back to my face after each punch, instead I was letting them drop down, which is bad to say the least. And I had this pointed out to me. For the next two weeks I eagerly anticipated the moment that we would do burnouts again, and I would get to push myself to bring my hands back to my face every single time.

I recently had the opportunity to begin sparring. My first time standing there in the ring, squared off against my partner, my brain panicked and didn’t do me much good. However, because of the training that I have been a part of there were points where my instincts took over and instead of floundering I found myself cutting my partner’s movements off. I even managed to land a few punches! There was a lot of room for improvement, which my coach and sparring partner provided insight on. The next time I got to spar I did better. Landing combinations, and reacting to some situations well. I could feel the training that we do at RCA working. Moments occur in sparring where something you learned clicks. When you’re learning something and drilling it you’re teaching your body how to do the motions, and which muscles to use. But until the left hook is coming at you and your hand goes up to block it while sparring all you were doing was training your muscles. It’s the moments in sparring where you can move and react freely which allow you to really see all the training and the drilling pay off.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that training with Troy and the rest of the RCA crew has improved my life. RCA has given me a place where I can train myself, mind and body, to be better.

Kyle's Story

I have been training in martial arts most of my life. As a kid, I would dream of being a master of every style -- unbeatable, invincible. I would practice punching and kicking in the backyard, becoming the hero in my own fantasy (sometimes the villain). I was the master in my own mind, but I always wanted to learn more. When I was seven my mom enrolled me in Tae Kwon Do. During this time, that or karate were your choices of martial arts in the suburbs of south Seattle. I remember the first time I walked into the studio, I watched the students bow to the flag, then bow to their instructor perfectly timed each person moved as if one entity. The smell of dried sweat on the floor mats and foot odor filled the room and it smelled like home.

As a young student, I progressed quickly. I received a "Most improved student" award my first month in, and began sparring the older kids with higher belts. By my second belt promotion, my instructor asked me to enter a statewide tournament. Although my forms left much to be desired, I didn't care; my mind was always on the fight. Hyped on adrenaline, the brawl of seven-year-old yellow belts began and it was a better feeling than I had pictured in my backyard fantasy. At the end of it all, I received a medal for my victory.

Somewhere in between the ages of seven and 17, I had forgotten my dreams of becoming a master of martial arts. I moved to the city and my home life wasn't always great. I would comfort myself with cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. By high school, I didn't care about anyone or anything. All I wanted to do was skip school and smoke all day until my friends got out.

One day, I was visiting a friend in the suburban south end and he was telling me how he started training mixed martial arts. I didn't know much about it so he showed me a Chuck Liddell fight and I lost my mind. The next day, I went with him to the gym and tried the classes out. After three hours of training I felt as if I were going to die, and, yet, all I wanted to do was train the next day. Suddenly all my crutches that I relied on didn’t matter. I wanted to be healthy, eat healthy, workout. For the first time in my life, I cared about my well-being.

Over the next couple years, I would travel to see my friend and we would train together, however, the distance made it difficult to go on a regular basis and I needed something steady in my life. I looked up local gyms and reviews, trying out different MMA schools until I found one that had everything I needed. I finally had a gym to attend. Every night before work, I would stay up reviewing everything from the night before and anticipate what we would learn the next day. After work, I would immediately take the two-hour bus ride to class and stayed until the gym closed. If no one could give me a ride home, I would walk for three or so hours home because the busses had stopped running by that time. All I could think about was being a professional fighter and being the best. At this establishment is where I met Troy, the boxing coach who would volunteer his time twice a week to teach the aspiring cage fighters, showing us what hands are and how to use them.

Something was different about Troy. He would always have a meaning to the drills and was able to articulate how each skill applies in different situations. His style to me was a mix of classic boxing with traditional martial art techniques applied including Wing Chun and Kung Fu. His teachings came equipped with a philosophical aura.

When Troy went into business for himself, I didn’t think twice and I followed. He founded Reign City Athletics (RCA) and with a student body of about 10 we would practice in a dance studio in the basement of an apartment complex that none of us lived in. The class size wasn’t important, neither was the facility. I learned more in that basement than in any gym with all the bells and whistles. It’s not the location that matters, it’s who’s there with you. Working with Troy helped me develop my skills as a fighter and as a person. He would say things like “Watch your positioning” and “Be mindful”. Because of his teaching, I learned to be a stronger person, and to love myself and the people around me.

Soon after this “fighters enlightenment,” I found myself preparing for my first fight as a mixed martial artist. Six days a week at the gym, working out twice a day – being a fighter was and is hard work.

When fight day arrived, I had never been so afraid in my life. The fear did not come from lack of preparation, as I had been training for months. It wasn’t my opponent, nor the crowd or fear of getting hurt. My fear was that I didn't want to let my team down. Everyone at RCA supported me in my training; they put in countless hours in making me better. My team deserved a victory, and I gave them one. When the referee raised my hand, Troy raised the other. I became invincible, I became the hero.

After all I have done in my life, after all my selfish acts, this one was for my coach and my team. Fighting has made me who I am today, but I wouldn't be an ounce of who I am without Troy and my Team at Reign City Athletics.

Fearless

My journey into boxing was a bit of a struggle. I didn’t know where to look for a good boxing gym, let alone a good trainer and coach who would be willing to take a pure novice under their wing. I settled for a popular boxing gym in Seattle hoping to gain skills and technique to understand the sweet science of boxing. Unfortunately, my experience there was unsatisfying as I came out learning nothing – nada, no footwork, no defense skills, no technique -- but being a punching bag for their up and coming competitive boxers. After leaving that particular gym discouraged and disappointed, I thought that every boxing gym was going to be just like that and so I gave up looking.

One day I bumped into Troy, with whom I was acquainted with through friends back in the day. I had no idea that he had been a competitive boxer and now was a coach and trainer at a local MMA gym. As curious as I was, he knew I would be interested and offered me a free boxing class which I gladly took. I was little apprehensive about taking my first class with Troy because of my experience, but I went in with the hopes that it would be different this time.

After taking my first class with Troy, it changed it for me as I learned things that I wouldn’t have learned at the previous boxing gym. I found a coach who was passionate, dedicated and motivated to teach me what boxing was all about. I was determined to learn and put in the time and effort that he has put in to teach me. I followed Troy wherever he went to try to setup his own boxing gym and assured him that I was always going to be his student no matter the circumstances.

As we settled into our new gym, I reflected on how far I had come along. I went from having no skills whatsoever to having the technique, footwork and defense skills to compete. Boxing has taught me something about myself and what I’m made of. It’s instilled me a level of confidence to stand up for myself, to be resilient and courageous. It takes a high amount of fearlessness to step into a ring and face an aggressive opponent just as much as it takes to face your very own fears and maybe even demons. If I didn’t bump into Troy that one day, I know I wouldn’t be where I’m at in boxing. His knowledge, patience, and constant encouragement has contributed to the foundation of me becoming a boxer. Last but not least, I can’t forget the entire team of Reign City Athletics as well as my sisters of Gabriela Seattle for their profound support.

Isulong!

Breath Control

You must be shapeless, formless like water.” – Bruce Lee

When you’re in the ring, it’s really easy to get caught up in your head. Remembering combinations, trying to be that machine, not unlike Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. The thing is, that can be your greatest enemy, not just in the ring, but in life.

We take a lot of pride in staying focus, and yes, there is a place for that. But there also has to be a level of flexibility. That’s what keeps us on our toes. Becoming complacent to what you have set in your mind will ensure failure. Things happen. There are roadblocks that you won’t even anticipate. That’s part of life. That’s part of boxing. You can study your opponent, but you’re not in their head, so you have to be ready.

Such as the case in life. You can’t tell the future. We can’t predict the next two hours, let alone the next year. Wrenches will be thrown, situations will change. We cannot control that. We can only adapt and become the water and flow over the rock-like obstacles.

We are not robots. We aren’t Ivan Drago. Let’s strive to be better – to be the best version of ourselves, which starts with not trying to control our opponents or the environments around us. Just embrace for what you can’t see and success will be the learnings and the road to becoming an all around fighter.

Perseverance

It has been an extremely eventful past few weeks for the team and extended RCA family. The RCA team and family have grown in size; old friends returning with a reinvigorated dedication to their training. There have also been some trying times to the members of our family. Reflecting on this, I can’t help but be reminded of one of the greatest principles I have learned in my time as an athlete and now as a coach: perseverance.

Boxing is one of the few arts that truly forces you to push through both athletic and personal obstacles. While you may have the support and the assistance of both coaches and teammates, you can only overcome obstacles in training through harsh self-introspection and perseverance. In my time as a coach, I have seen several faces come in and out of the gym. Many have started the journey with a plethora of excitement and enthusiasm, however, when the realities of real training begin, they are often the first to quietly disappear. I am truly inspired by the few athletes -- both competitive and recreational -- who have committed themselves to the art and to their training. While they may have had their personal challenges along the way, they have always found their way back to their path.

In this life, just like in boxing, there will always be hardships and people that will cause us to question who we are and where we are headed. The most important thing that we need to remember is that we can never give up on ourselves and that we must always persevere and stay true to ourselves and the vision and goals that we hold most dear.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! “

-Rocky Balboa

It's all about what you do with it...

I was first introduced to the RCA team in 2010, I was looking to find something that could fill the void left from the team sports I had played in high school. Growing up, I tried new things and, in turn, I ended up playing pretty much every sport. When I started boxing, it was different. I had endless questions, I wanted to understand every angle, I wanted to know when, why, and how everything worked. I was more excited to learn, to compete, than other sports before.

When it comes to sports, I get it or I don’t at all; for me, boxing wasn't like that, it was gradual. The first time Coach Troy sent me what we were going to work on in class that night, he sent me a simple 2-3-2 catch/counter combination and, at that time, my mind was blown. Immediately I had questions for him, though he wouldn't always have an answer right away, I could tell he was listening, that he actually cared. Over that year I grew immensely as a fighter and as a person. I came into Troy’s classes wanting to be stronger, wanting to be tougher and not only did I achieve those things, but I also became smarter. Before training under Coach Troy, I thought boxing was about learning how to hit someone, now I know not getting hit is what matters.

Since I started MMA and boxing, I've tried pretty much every gym in the PNW while still maintaining my home gym at RCA. I began to see how truly unique and hands on Troy’s style of coaching is -- the endless inspirational or philosophical quotes, the advanced mittwork and the knowledge behind it, and the fact that you can see how much he loves the team. Since day one, Coach Troy and the RCA team have made me feel welcome. I’m proud to be a part of this family and I’m excited to get back at it, to compete, and to represent the people that mean so much to me.

“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”

So what's next?

Now that we’re past the holiday season, I’m finally afforded a moment to sit back and reflect on the year that has passed and ask what’s next. There has been an immeasurable amount of change that happened in the past year. One thing I can say about 2015 is that this is the first time in a long while where the amount of hope and positive energy I feel about the team and our mission outweighs the amount of anxiety I have for the work ahead of us. That said, I want to make a point to rededicate myself to becoming a student of the art and to approach my own education with the eyes of a new student; to approach the art with the same wonder and hunger for knowledge that a first-time boxer feels.

This year, I’d like to challenge my current athletes to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. While not all of you may have the desire to compete, I still challenge you to step into the ring and spar. I am in no way saying that you should be looking to spar everyday or even every week. What I am saying is that you should challenge yourself to step the ring at least once to really see if your body can perform what your mind has learned.

We have a great opportunity in the current space to work alongside a great team and another great trainer in Coach Tricia Arcaro. To be able to see athletes and styles of boxing that are different from our own is valuable. We should take every second that we have in this environment to analyze, question, and learn from the people who surround us.

The past few months and weeks have really brought to my attention how many untapped resources I have in my circle and community at large. “No man is an island unto himself,” and this quote has really come into realization with the recent changes that the gym has undergone. The outpouring of support for our team has been great and is really showing me the impact that it has made in the lives of those around me. This effect needs to radiate beyond the walls of the gym and out to the community; to make this team more than just the athletes that comprise it. There is a community of family, supporters, and potential enthusiasts around us. I am dedicating myself to find a way to connect.

I am a prime example of how boxing can save lives because it’s been my saving grace on more than one occasion. I’m not the first to express that sentiment and I know I won’t be the last. What I do know is that if I did not have the right people around me -- such as Sifu James Gilmore, Manong Peter Bacho, Manong Ted Divina, Mike Yoshitomi, and Alex Tonel, just to name a few -- I would never have found my way to this art that has come to make me the man and coach that I am today.

So what’s next you may ask? I’m next. This team is next. This family is next. So get wrapped up and strapped up and let’s get to work.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

A little over a year ago, a friend suggested I try out boxing at Reign City Athletics. Just like most people, I was very hesitant and terrified about getting punched in the face! When I told my family and friends about boxing, most told me not to do it because I'm a girl, so I shouldn’t be doing a combat sport. That doubt lit a fire within me because I wanted to prove them wrong. That didn’t mean I was a natural when it came to learning the ropes of the sport, but the difficulty and challenge was what made it really fun! I honestly looked forward to being frustrated with a new drill because it made me want to go through the drill over and over again until I got it right.

At first, I was intimidated by the folks at RCA because I felt like a complete outsider. It was nerve wracking since I had no idea what I was doing and everyone was already in the flow of things and looked like actual boxers. However, that feeling quickly dissipated as I realized everyone at RCA didn’t care about how good I was. It was all about helping each other become a better, smarter boxer in a challenging and safe environment. There were definitely days where I wanted to give up and cry from frustration. But knowing that I was training with a supportive group that works so hard, it reminded me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to keep punching.

I have had many coaches in my life and Coach Troy is without a doubt one of the best. Not only did he help me grow as a boxer, but as a person. I came into RCA with a very little confidence in my abilities – not just in boxing, but many other things in life. But Coach Troy really made me see what I am capable of and how far my mind can really push itself. He made me see that not everyone is perfect and putting effort into things is what really brings success. He treats us like family and makes it so much easier to act like yourself and feel comfortable – like there is a sense of belonging. His style of teaching was also what really made me enjoy boxing at RCA.

With it being over a year of boxing, I have set a goal for myself to fit in some more time to spar. Yes, you can go through drills all day, every day, but you won’t really be able to see who you are and how you are as a boxer until you are in the ring with another person who is also proving themselves. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the beauty in boxing if all you think about is hitting a target. In reference to what a famous boxer once said, I, too, want to look like a butterfly and sting like a bee.