Sunday, June 17, 2001
[LIKE TRY?]
It’s all a paradox Boxing is intellect and viciousness, conservation and destruction.
for those who box
Boxers balance their power
by knowing when to hold backBy C.R. Dudley
Special to the Star-BulletinBoxing is power and weakness, heart, sweat, blood and calculation.
Boxing is risk, danger, fear, conquering and failure.
When you first step inside a boxing ring, it feels overwhelmingly tiny. TV doesn't do the intimacy of a fight any justice. Standing in the ring is the only way to feel the limits of the space, to experience the vulnerability it engenders. Except for shorts, shoes and gloves, you stand naked against an equally unarmored opponent in a very small space located high above everyone, and they're all looking at you.
Long-time trainer and local boxing legend, Peter Juhn, 77, knows the extent to which first-time boxers are affected by the size of the ring.
Juhn was instrumental in starting the Kalakaua Gym boxing program.
"Any kid who walks up those six steps and into the ring is brave. You don't have anybody backing you up. Boxing is just one-on-one. It requires self-discipline and courage," Juhn said.
Within the ropes stand two people, gloved and unmasked, opponents with no other distraction. They face each other purely to fight. Discussion, taunting and baiting are all aspects of the sport, but in the end, it's you and one other person. Mano a mano.
The paradox of boxing is best defined by the moments before a knockout impact.
A fighter's greatest achievement as his opponent hits the floor is his ability to relax despite the crowd, the expectation and the adrenaline and wait for the opening.
The winning boxer concentrates and feels his opponent's weakness, and he jabs, but always with something in reserve. He hits, but without fully committing.
He feels, touches, looks and figures. It's a calculating man's game. Of late it has became a calculating woman's game as well.
"We're getting a lot of girls. And they don't look like girls you would expect to be into boxing," Kalakaua Gym trainer Daniel "Chooch" Tomas said.
Tomas said the girls train very hard and seem to have an easier time understanding some of the paradoxes of boxing such as not punching with all your force.
"Don't try to hit your target with your punches," Tomas said. "That's like chasing a rainbow. The boxer you're facing will move and you'll miss. You'll get frustrated and start lunging and get tired." Tomas said.
Elton Furutani, a very young-looking 44, is the consummate stick-and-move stylist. Twice he has reigned as the 156-pound Fire and Police International Olympics champion.
Getting started
What: Boxing
When: Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.
Where: Kalakaua Gym, Kalihi
Information: Elton Furutani, Dawgs Surf BC, 384-5876.
Facing Furutani, you feel like you've become prey. His black eyes follow you. They're hard, unblinking, formidable eyes. If your power hand drops slightly from the correct defensive position, he taps the side of your head before you can blink. He doesn't smile as he does this. It's a lesson.
You notice Furutani cannot help but pick apart your defenses, gauge your abilities and watch for your particular weakness.
"In boxing you really learn how much you can take. After training all of those months and then fighting, you'll have an understanding of your mind, your body and your spirit that you wouldn't have otherwise," Furutani said.
The best way to begin learning to box is to show up in the afternoon and watch for a day or two. Observe the different trainers and how they interact with their boxers. Furutani warned that, as a potential boxer, one should watch for traits in trainers that might conflict with your personality.
Another aspect to consider is price. Some trainers charge, others are volunteers. Furutani is one of the volunteers.
"We work from the heart. For the love of the game. After a fight, the boxers hug and we are all friends here. That's the unique thing about boxing," Furutani said.
Jack London, in his 1909 story of an aging boxer, wrote, "A man had only so many professional fights in him to begin with. It was the iron law of the game."
Like no other sport, boxing tests your fiber, your fitness and your mental ability.