Hello, My Name is Alex and I am an Alcoholic

This month marked my 3-year anniversary of not drinking alcohol. Haven't even had a sip since 2019.  I don't intend to have another one as long as I live. Not because I necessarily think alcohol is bad and no one should drink but because I, myself, am an alcoholic. Not a drinker, not even a heavy drinker, but an alcoholic. If you are or are close to someone who is, you likely understand the distinction. Alcoholics don't just love to drink and get drunk a lot, it is something else. A disease, really, and one for which there is no cure. 

Think of serious addiction like an alien host taking over your body. It needs booze or whatever substance it craves to live. It will convince you that you need it too. That you cannot live without it. Not to get wasted and have fun but to simply exist normally. True addicts need their vice to just to function. Ever tried not sleeping or eating for a while? You feel terrible and off until you finally get some sleep or a decent meal. It is the same kind of things for alcoholics when we go without drink. In fact, people can actually die from withdrawals. Alcohol and heroine are the 2 things that can kill you even when you quit.

The alien host example is not to exonerate us addicts from blame. We are responsible for our own actions. But it really should be looked at as a disease, like I mentioned earlier. You can deeply love an alcoholic but still hate the disease. Those of us who are infected cannot simply stop through the force of our own sheer wills. If you have ever been able to do this, you were likely not an alcoholic or addict. Not that it means it was easy for you, it can be a real challenge to quit anything your body is used to getting but serious addiction is a whole different animal. I have met plenty of people who lost their families, jobs, freedom and health because of their addictions. They aren't stupid. They know what they are doing is bad for them and causes nothing but problems in their lives. Yet they still cannot stop.

Based on my own experiences and the others I have encountered, things I have read, etc., I think it is safe to say that if you or someone you know is an alcoholic and truly want to quit, you will need some help. As they say in Alcoholics Anonymous, you have to first acknowledge that you have a problem. Part of doing that is accepting that you cannot quit without help. If you think you're still going to be able to handle this yourself, I believe you will ultimately fail. But by acknowledging that you need outside help, you have identified this as a real problem that must be solved (among other things).

Where does one start asking for help though? Even though I had met and been close with many addicts throughout my life, I didn't really know what to do. Of course I knew all about the aforementioned Alcoholics Anonymous and tried going to a couple of meetings as that seemed like the obvious first choice. AA has helped, and will continue to help many people but I felt like it wasn't for me. Not because I had ideological differences with their approach, it just didn't gel with my personality. Luckily, there are a lot of other types of programs and options.

What helped me is that I told everybody. Well, not everybody but my doctors and people I was closest to. This can be pretty hard too. Many functional people with serious addictions are able to hide it, at least somewhat, from the general public (including themselves).  Not that others don't know they drink or use drugs, they just don't know the full extent of the problem. Or maybe they do but don't say anything, keeping it in the shadows. Admitting to to others that you are suffering and unable to fix it is often embarrassing (especially for men). Plus, again, it forces you to come to terms with the issue as well. It can't be your little secret anymore.

Talking to other people not only gave me support but opened me up to other options for treatment. My regular doctor was very helpful and I learned a lot more about addiction from friends who had been through it (one reason I too am telling you this now). I didn't realize that outpatient rehab was a thing and I found this a much better fit than AA. I also found digging deeper into the "why" of my alcoholism gave me a lot of other coping mechanisms.

Talking about it in general, while sometimes extremely difficult at first, can just really help. As simple as it sounds, it is undeniably true. This is why the whole group therapy concept is often used. You are surrounded by people who suffer from the same ailment you do. To varying degrees, usually, but they can truly understand the disease aspect in a way that many of your friends and family cannot, no matter how much they love you and empathize. I remember sharing this point specifically in a room and mentioned how others might think it is simply a matter of will power, that we could just stop drinking because we want to and everybody in the room chuckled and nodded their heads. It was like a shot of adrenaline for me! They didn't just understand what I was saying, intellectually - that is something anyone can do - they truly got it on a deeper, emotional level. I can't tell you how helpful that simple moment was to me.

And that's the thing right there. Treatment may seem impossible to a serious addict but you never know exactly how it will affect you until you try. You never know how helpful support can be until you accept that you need it. Quitting drinking was one of the best decisions I ever made and I absolutely, 100% could not have done it (and continue to do it) without help. I drank for many years and had no real issues and I'm a very mentally tough individual. I have been through a lot of crap. I figured I could simply crush this problem as I have crushed so many and go back to a casual drinker but it was never going to work until I reached out to others and admitted to myself that I could not do it alone. 

If you or someone you know has a problem with addiction, know that people like me are there for you. We know what you're going through. Even friends and family who don't know what you are going through are hopefully there for you too. Every bit of support you can get will help. Just don't be afraid to ask for it.

How Do You Fight An Aggressive Puncher?

No mentally healthy person likes getting punched repeatedly. Most humans have a natural reaction to things coming at their head and it is usually to flinch, back up and cover up. This is not necessarily a terrible thing. It is just unconscious survival instinct. But as I have said before, boxing is not a natural thing. Some people are better at it than others, sure, but we train ourselves to bypass and overcome some of these instincts when we learn the sweet science.

When two boxers enter the ring and one is extremely aggressive, throwing punches from all angles, their opponent has several options. They can try to match that aggression themselves, which usually makes for a super exciting fight but also puts them at risk for a knockout. They can also go the other way, which may make for a less exciting fight, being mostly defensive and looking for their opportunity to counter. Or they can find a spot, or several spots, in between both of those extremes. Where you might fall on that spectrum depends to some degree on your boxing style and personality.

It is also worth noting that not all aggressive punchers are the same. Some are powerful but a little wild (like a George Foreman), some are more about constant, overwhelming volume than power (Julio Caesar Chavez), and others are great boxers who use pressure effectively (Canelo Alvarez).

For me, I would prefer to fight or coach a fighter against someone like this - much more than a counterpuncher at least - and here is where I land, tactically, on how to handle swarming, aggressive punchers:

Mindset

The general strategy I see boxers use is to try to keep distance between them the swarmer. This makes logical sense. The swarmer wants to get close and oftentimes in boxing, we want to deny our opponent what they want. But I don't see it being successful enough in these situations. Plus it requires a lot more work from you and if it's a competitive boxing match, the judges likely won't look as favorably on it. Instead, the mindset should be to disrupt the aggressive fighter as they come in. There are physical techniques to make this happen but it begins in the mind. You have to steady your nerves and accept that that it will get scary.

Not Backing Up/Giving Ground

Along those lines, trying to keep your distance from a pressure fighter means you will have to back up. You can move laterally and circularly and we will talk about that later but if distance is your strategy, there is no way you won't give ground. But that is what your opponent wants. And you backing up will allow them to keep their forward momentum and keep striking. Yes, we have seen some phenomenal knockouts with fighters backing away - Oscar Valdez vs Miguel Berchelt is probably the greatest one I have ever seen. This is not easy to pull off though, and will require that your opponent is charging forward somewhat wildly. In general, I don't think it should be a long-term strategy for a fight. Again, my vote is for disrupting your opponent's momentum as they come in, backing up only if you have to and not giving too much ground.

Jabs/Stabs to the Body

So how does one disrupt the swarmer's momentum as they come forward? The jab to the body is one of your best tools, provided you are able to really stick it. It's not so much about hurting the aggressor with this punch but driving their hips backward. This is called "breaking the base" of your opponent. Hips control just about everything in boxing. If your hips are driven backwards, you will have no balance and no solid base to throw good punches, dodge punches, footwork, nothing. This effect will not last long so you had better follow it up with something or circle around to keep them frustrated. Though I don't recommend emulating his style overall, especially for a new boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. does this better than anyone.

Angle Steps

While you want to try not to give ground, this definitely does not mean you want to just stand in front of your aggressive opponent and go toe-to-toe with them. You've got to move your feet but instead of going backwards, take angle steps and pivot steps, laterally and circularly. This is really a good strategy for fighting any one in any style in any discipline but particularly against someone coming forward who wants to brawl. They come forward, you step out of the way but stay close so that now, you can hit them and they can't hit you. That part is the key - staying close. Of course there may be times you want to just reset but if you are looking to counter, you have to stay in counter range. Sometimes you can do them both at the exact same time. I have to give it up for Money Mayweather again on this one, as his check hook knocking Ricky Hatton through the ropes was one of the best examples here.

Body Shots

Once again, it is always good to throw those body punches against all fighters, they can be particularly effective against aggressive punchers. Every time you throw a punch, you open yourself up to getting punched and particularly when you throw punches at the head of your opponent, your body is wide open for the counter. So if someone is swinging away at you, go to the body to shut that down. I've talked about the value of body shots in general before - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/search?q=body+shots - and since pressure fighters need to have serious cardio to keep up the frenzied pace of their attack. body shots are the best way to take that away from them. Big power punchers too may have strong chins but nobody has a strong liver. You can't exactly build muscle to protect and cover that area so a good liver shot will drop just about anyone.

Blocking/Covering/Catching

Even if you have insane head movement, it is difficult to dodge everything an aggressive puncher throws. You have to have incredibly fast reflexes and spot the punches quickly. Otherwise, head movement against a series of strikes coming at all angles will ultimately fail (you will see examples of someone doing it in the ring and it working but I would argue in every case, the puncher who keeps missing is at fault for not pressuring the body more). Most of us are going to have to block a lot more than we might against a different kind of fighter. Blocking is easier than slick head movement but it hurts and you have to be disciplined in your blocks and still quick with your responses as you don't want to try to be Muhammad Ali,  shelled up on the ropes waiting for George Foreman to get tired. And you have to be able to block with just about everything your hands, your forearms, your elbows and your shoulders. If you were to actually fight someone in the ring, you would need to practice blocking HARD punches. Reasons being that this will cause your body to harden but more importantly, get you used to being moved by the punches. Light taps are not representative of what you will face in the ring, especially against a brawler so it will totally disrupt your timing once you have to catch something like a big overhand right for real. I am not saying I would advocate a lot of hard sparring in general, I am speaking specifically about practicing blocks. And then, make sure you can respond quickly. Dimitri Bivol did this about as well as I have seen it done in his fight against Canelo.

Clinch Game

Pressure fighters want to get in close but they do not necessarily want to be grabbed/held. Some like fighting there too but at the very least, you can slow down or even stop all of their punches by holding their arms down for a second. And you can take away that momentum and use it to frustrate them at well-designed times. But just like blocking, clinching is not enough. This can be a time for you to rough them up a little bit, dirty boxing style or also change your position. What a pressure fighter, swarmer, brawler, crazy aggro boxer wants more than anything else besides hitting you a lot is to get you on the ropes. That is where they can just pound away and you can't do much to stop them as you are trapped and in some cases, your base is somewhat broken. Rumble in the Jungle not withstanding, you want to get off the ropes. But how? Maybe they are pushing you and they are really strong. Grab them and turn them. But what if they are too strong and won't let you turn them? Use their force against them, pull them to you as you turn them around.

Okay Maybe Some, Give Ground BUT...

...be smart about it and don't let them just drive you back. But how do you do that? I know of 2 ways. First is something like an L-step. Take one step back as they come forward and then step off line, like a knight in chess. They will start to anticipate this and catch you though so you've got to vary it up and not be predictable. The other method is a little bit tougher to physically do but good boxers can use it to perfection. The swarmer comes in but you strike first, disrupting them and stopping their movement, like a jab to the body and then maybe a cross. The swarmer will inevitably throw punches back immediately. That is when you step back out of the way but immediately hold your ground or even pop forward if they don't and land a couple of shots. Then you just keep repeating this process: be first, disrupt, step back to avoid, disrupt/attack again, circle out. It is very tiring but it will frustrate your opponent and often gets them to start making mistakes. Sugar Ray Leonard is a great example here. Against Duran, Hearns, anyone who tried to come straight at him.

Who is the Greatest Boxer in the World Right Now?

I mentioned him recently in a blog post related to power punching.

I also mentioned him an older post about boxers I recommend to emulate.

This Tuesday, he became the undisputed bantamweight champion (118 pounds), holding every belt in his class, first person in 50 years to do it as a bantamweight and the first ever from Asia to be undisputed. He is from Japan and he is Naoya Inoue. This isn't just my opinion either. Inoue (nicknamed "The Monster") is now at the top of most boxing pound-for-pound lists. And in case you didn't know, since people box anywhere from 105 pounds to close to 300 pounds, and since a feather weight would never fight a heavyweight, there is this notion of the best "pound-for-pound" fighter. It's only theoretical and of course, subjective, but people who follow boxing closely, make these lists based on the skills and abilities of each fighter and I think it is safe to say that Inoue is truly the greatest. No one in any division is as dominant, dynamic and exciting as he is.

I keep bringing him up for several other reasons too. He doesn't get nearly as much attention as he deserves. Even the boxing media focus a lot more on fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, Ryan Garcia, Terrence Crawford, Errol Spence, Tank Davis, Oleksandr Usyk, Teofimo Lopez, Lomachenko, and even Jake Paul. There are certainly reasons for this and fighting at such a smaller weight class, being from Japan, not talking any trash or having much of a social media presence doesn't necessarily sell tickets but this guy is really something special. He may be one of the best all-time when his career is over.

But he also serves as a great example for anybody who gets into boxing. Again, he's not a big guy at all. Doesn't come across as intimidating or even cocky in any way. His nickname is "The Monster" but if you were to see him walking down the street, you would never know it. Most of us don't really look like monsters either - big, tough, scary customers no one wants to run into in a dark alley. This is generally a good thing but like I talked about last week, it also means sometimes we let that hold us back when we box. We use it is almost an unconscious excuse to not get better when in reality, we are all fighters and deep inside every one of us is a monster too!

Along those lines, Inoue proves what I say over and over that anyone can have punching power. He finishes pretty much all of his fights by knockout and TKO. That is unheard of for a bantamweight. Pretty much unheard of for anyone who fights consistently, at championship level. And he generates this power all through technique, proving that point as well, that technique creates power, not big muscles or mass in general.

It is not just single punch power either. Naoya Inoue is the best combination puncher I have ever seen. He is known overwhelmingly for his body shot finishes. Everybody that steps into the ring with him knows exactly what is coming. But they can't stop it. Why? Because he flows from punch to punch so well that there is no way to defend them all and eventually that mid-section will open up, now matter how much they try to protect it. As someone who creates and teaches many boxing combinations every day, I have immense respect and admiration for how effectively and fluidly he throws combos. Plenty of great pressure fighters will overwhelm their opponents with relentless punching from all angles but that's not what Inoue does. It's more like precise, surgical strikes that are each designed for a specific purpose.

Then there are those body shots. Many of us who have studied boxing know how effective them can be at ending a fight or at least, setting up the ending of a fight but Naoya is one of the select few who can make body punching into an art form. As I alluded to earlier, everyone who fights him knows what he is going to do. Most recently, Paul Butler did everything he could to block those body shots and was able to survive longer than most but ultimately, it did not matter. Inoue found the way and won by KO yet again.

The next step will be for Inoue to move up in weight class, fighter bigger and stronger opponents. It will be interesting to see how his power carries over and how this post looks in about 10 years but for right now, at the end of 2022, there is no better boxer.

Are You a Boxer?

Boxing is something just about anyone can do. Doesn't matter how old, how young, whether you are in shape or out. Even people with medical and other health limitations can often box on some level. It is something one can do at their own pace, with very little equipment. Training to box non-competitively is relatively safe - you don't put the repeated stress on your joints that you do from running, one bad rep can't result in a major injury like from weightlifting, very little risk of ligament damage that comes from many sports, etc. Now of course, if you box competitively in the ring with someone else, there are plenty of major risks that come with repeated head trauma. But being a boxer does NOT inherently mean that you box competitively.

It pretty much used to mean that though. Years ago, if you wanted to box, you most likely needed to find a boxing gym where you would eventually be expected to compete on some level. That has changed over time. The workout one can get from hitting the heavy bag and mitts is exceptional. In fact, sparring or even fighting professionally is not going to be as much as a workout as you will generally have to restrain yourself in some way, the duration is shorter, and you get significantly fewer reps. You will get extremely tired from boxing competitively, in a way like no other, but it is not because you are getting more of a workout. It's being more tense, getting hit, and the massive adrenaline dump that comes afterwards.

Eventually, more and more people decided that they loved the boxing workout but not necessarily getting punched (or punching someone). So now there are plenty of gyms across the country, including ours, where you can train how to box without competing. Good places, especially ours, will teach you everything about the boxing experience because we know that the more you know and understand about the sweet science, the better your skills and overall fitness level will get, whether or not you have any interest in ever setting foot in a ring.

So if you train in boxing but haven't fought in anyone, does that make you a boxer? The answer is.....100% yes!! Just like if you went out jogging a few times every week but never entered a race, you would still be a runner. But what if you do train boxing but aren't super serious about it, as others are? You are still a boxer! You may not think you are, but you are. You may say that you are not a particularly good at boxing but yes, you are still a boxer.

Sometimes I have heard people make the distinction that they are not a real boxer because they don't box professionally and to them, boxing carries with it that connotation. Maybe we are getting too deep into semantics but I myself would not use that verbiage. I would distinguish with the word "competitive" as I did earlier. So I would say that the person is indeed a real boxer, just not a competitive boxer. Or you could also distinguish with "fighter" as well. Fighters are those who compete. This might all seem insignificant but I believe there is more value to these little details than meets the eye/ear.

The only other physical activity I do besides boxing is swim. But only sometimes. Like I will swim for a few months to mix things up and give myself a good steady-state exercise that isn't running or biking. I'll go swim laps in the pool with these people who definitely have more experience than me and swimming clearly seems to be their thing. Some of them are older and even overweight yet still, they manage to swim significantly faster than me. And they don't appear to get tired either. They just go from one end of the pool and back, effortlessly gliding across the water like magical dolphins. Even though I know better, I still feel kind of bad sometimes. Why can't I swim faster than these people? I'm reasonably capable and know the basics "Oh well," I tell myself, "it's not a big deal because I am not a swimmer. I am a boxer." They wear swim caps and have equipment but me, I just show up in shorts and swim. We can't be compared.

While these things might be true, the problem with this kind of thinking is that it gives me an excuse not to be better. I don't have to worry as much about pushing myself to swim harder too much because I'm not a swimmer. Those other people are, so they are in their own little bubble I will never be a part of. Just as they most likely can't throw punches like I can.

But I can still be a better swimmer (or anything). And I should try to get better- always. Maybe I will never catch some of the dolphin people at the pool but I can edge closer. I can improve myself. My speed, my endurance, relative to just me. Anyone, and I do mean anyone (especially you) can do this with boxing too.

This does not mean, however, that we should always compare ourselves to others and feel bad when we don't match up. We just shouldn't let it be an excuse for us to not try as hard as we can. There is no ceiling for how good you can get. Does not matter who you are. Thinking that there is that ceiling will just hold us back and certainly not do us any good.

I think this happens more often with boxing too, since it carries with it more of a stereotype of what a boxer is. People think that of course they aren't a boxer, they don't look like a boxer, they don't want to fight anybody, they are just doing this for a workout, blah blah blah - just like the stuff I tell myself at the pool. That will hold you back too. Whether you box once a week and have some other, main things,  you are a still a boxer. You are also an athlete. Doesn't matter if you feel uncoordinated or out of shape, you are still an athlete. You must believe that you are. You must believe that you are a boxer. Don't let anyone, yourself very much included, tell you differently. This can change everything, despite being just words.

Of course we can't just do this on our own. We all need help - coaches and other people in our lives who can teach us how to get better and hopefully motivate us to do so. While we can lead you to the proverbial water though, we cannot make you drink. That last bit of effort has gotta come from you. And it starts with believing you can do it!

Do I Have To Be Big & Strong to Throw Big & Strong Punches?

A lot of people believe that punching power is just something you are born with. Or that if you are a bigger, stronger person, you should be able to throw more powerful punches. Neither of these are necessarily true.

Yes, some are born with more natural abilities than others. Sometimes the body mechanics will just click with some faster than they will with others. In fact, I would argue that the latter is actually the case when it comes to someone thinking they are born with power. It is much more likely that it's not this natural raw power, it's a natural grasp of the body mechanics that go into generating power. As I have said many times, boxing is a full-body exercise. You don't throw punches with your hands or arms, you throw it with your whole body. There is a particular rhythm and shifting of weight and explosive acceleration that can be learned and taught. Plenty of power strikers in boxing and mixed martial arts didn't necessarily start off that way. They learned the skills, they practiced the skills repeatedly, and they committed to improvement.

It is also true that force still equals mass times acceleration so having more mass can translate to power but it definitely does not inherently. A muscle-bound giant throwing a slow, looping punch will not only be very easy to dodge but even if it does land, will not nearly hurt as much as an explosive, whipping punch delivered by someone smaller than you. Plus, just because the mass is there doesn't mean it is being utilized. Proper punches teach us how to utilize every ounce of our own body's weight and translate into power, regardless of how much weight there is to convert.

The perfect example of technique over size is Jack Dempsey. One of the all-time greatest boxers who dominated the heavyweight division despite fighting at under 190 pounds. He (literally) wrote the book on how to generate power using his entire body. Rocky Marciano also more than dominated the heavyweight division for years, retiring with a perfect 49-0, despite weighing 185 pounds. In both cases, Dempsey and Marciano were not even heavyweights and today, would fight in other divisions. In their times though, heavyweights were the only class that most people cared about (and could make money from) so both guys were forced to figure out a way to match the power of larger men.

But there have always been smaller fighters who ruled their divisions through power punching too. As I write this in December 2022, I would say the greatest pound-for-pound boxers is Naoya Inoue. He has fought as light as 108 pounds up to 118 pounds. And 105 is the MINIMUM weight any boxer is even allowed! Not a big guy at all. Yet he finished most of his fights. By knockouts! Through vicious, powerful shots, mainly to the body. I wouldn't consider him a freak of nature either. His technique is flawless and his pressure and set-ups are pitch perfect as well.

Of course one thing these people have in common besides having amazing punching power, especially for their smaller size, is that they are champion boxers. High-level athletes who trained their whole lives to ascend to the top of their sport. So sure, that is all well and good for them but what about us regular folks? Regular folks can do this too. We have a member of our club, Kaleigh, who is smaller than Inoue but throws more powerful punches than most large men. And I am not just saying that to mean she hits hard for a gal her size either. She hits hard for ANYONE! You would be hurt if you ran into one of her hooks, no matter who you are. Kaleigh is certainly strong too but her power comes from proper body mechanics, acceleration and timing. These are all trainable skills that you can master too!

I work mainly with people who are relatively new to boxing. A lot of them are just doing it for the workout and I have met many who use that as a mental road block not to get better. "I'm not a boxer so I don't need to learn how to throw more powerful punches or other skills that take me out of my comfort zone,” are sentiments I know plenty of folks have. While it is true that they may never hit as hard as Dempsey, Marciano, Inoue or even Kaleigh, that does not mean they can't hit harder and more effectively than they currently do. They can get better, you can get better, I can get better, and we all can ALWAYS get better. Never let anyone ever tell you otherwise, especially not your own self!