Professor Chuck Marbry
PROFESSOR TEACHING MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY THIS WEEK!
Charlette, NC– It takes time to train a fighter. It’s a process that can’t be rushed. Sure, some fighters have more natural ability, speed, and reflexes than others. and that helps, but to learn the art and craft of boxing, it takes time, and unfortunately, we live in a microwave society. You go into any Martial-Arts Do-Jo that’s been “Americanized” and you’ll have a whole rainbow of belts to “earn,” whereas in a traditional Martial-Arts Do-Jo, you are a white belt until you earn a black belt. But we can’t wait that long for gratification. We want it yesterday. That’s how we wound up with TV dinners and instant coffee.
FIGHTERS MUST LIKE WHAT HE HEARS OR HE’S GONE!
And the same mind set has found its way into the sport of boxing. A person comes into a gym one week, and expects to be fighting for a title in two months. And, if the future champion-wanna-be doesn’t hear what they want to hear, or isn’t “progressing” fast enough, they will either quit, or go to the next gym where they will promise whatever it takes to get the membership fee.
YOU BUILD A FIGHTER LIKE A HOUSE, ONE BRICK AT A TIME!
It hasn’t always been that way. “Old School” trainers knew it took time to train and build a fighter. Now, if you just wanted to come in and get a good workout, that was OK as well. But, if you were serious about wanting to learn to box, you were told up front it wasn’t easy, and it was going to take plenty of time. In my own case, I did nothing but warm up, throw left jabs in the air as I made my way around a twenty-four foot square “ring’ (with no ropes) for four or five rounds, jump rope for four rounds, do calisthenics, and then cool down. I did this for three months before my trainer, Lou Kemp, would even let near a bag! Let me share with you some of what I learned, not only from boxing under Lou, but from getting Lou to teach me how to train other fighters. Now, just so you know Lou Kemp Carangio knew what he was doing, he fought more than 250 professional fights, fought Lou Ambers to a draw, and he trained Kelvin Seabrooks as an amateur to an 165-12 record. Seabrooks went on to win the USBA bantamweight (118 lbs) title, and then IBF bantamweight belt. Lou also started training Calvin Brock, who had an 147-58 amateur record, until Brock felt Lou was too Old School, and moving him along too slowly. Last, but certainly not least, Kemp trained Bernard Taylor to a massive 481-8 amateur record, including the 1972 National Junior Olympic Light Flyweight Championship, 1976 National AAU Bantamweight Championship, 1976 Golden Gloves Bantamweight Championship, 1977 National Golden Gloves Featherweight Championship, 1978 National Golden Gloves Featherweight Championship, 1979 National AAU Featherweight Championship, and 1980 National AAU Featherweight Championship, 1980 Golden Gloves Featherweight Championship and a spot on the 1980 USA Olympic Boxing Team, which President Jimmy Carter, an inteligent man for the most part, boycotted, something many people will never forgive him for. Taylor went on to win the USBA bantamweight title and the NABF Jr. Lightweight (130) belt before losing to WBA champ Barry McGuigan when the Irishman was at his peak.
YOU TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE AND MAKE IT WORK!
Lou was a firm believer that you didn’t try to change a fighters basic natural style. If a guy is more of a boxer, don’t try to make a slugger out of him, and the reverse is true. You improve on what he has, but don’t really mess with the natural mechanics much. I have seen many fighters messed up because some “trainer” tried to make them into something they really were not cut out to be. That’s why I spent three months going in circles doing nothing nothing but throwing out left jabs in the air. I was learning how to snap out the jab, but Lou was learning me. It takes time!
AS FOR THE SYLVESTER STALLONE FLICKS
And the thing you see in the Rocky movies with the rope tying your feet together to keep you from stepping too far out when you punch to keep balance? It works. If you try to punch off balance with your ankles tied together, you will fall on your face. It takes time, but it works.
ANOTHER “OLD SCHOOL” METHOD THAT WORKS
Got a problem not throwing your punches straight? Put a hand towel under your arm pits. When you throw wide, looping punches, the towels fall to the floor. It takes time, but you will learn.
MORE FIGHTERS NEED APPLY THIS TRICK!
I was right hand crazy. Especially after three months of nothing but left jabs in the air, when Lou finally let me start punching the heavy bag, all I wanted to do was knock that bag off the chain with my right hand. Lou kept telling me. “left-right, left-right.” I didn’t listen. Until he actually tied my right hand behind my back, and I had to hit the heavy bag with the jab, hook and uppercut, or get smashed in the face. It took time, but I learned!
NONE OF THESE “OLD SCHOOL” METHODS ARE TAUGHT TODAY
It’s these types of things that I don’t see being passed on. It’s little bad habits in fighters, that are not being corrected, that lead to major injuries that concern me. It takes time to learn the art and craft of boxing, but when the speed and reflexes of youth are gone, you will find the time is well worth it!
Professor Chuck Marbry