"And that's a rap", and just like that our work with KBS that started way back on April 15th when they first interviewed me had come to a conclusion. It was a bitter sweet realization -- no more cameras following me around, no more cameras perched on our equipment and no more body mic. But to tell you the truth, I am going to miss KBS.
KBS had come today for their last day of filming with us and we went out with a bang, but no black eyes like I had suspected. The "big bang" we had planned for our last day of filming was a sparring session -- four boxers from two different clubs, Hulk's and a club out in Seoul, entertaining the crowd with two sparring matches. Coach Thomas from Seoul had taken the long drive to Hulk's here in Cheonan with two of his prized boxers, one male and one female. I hadn't really let it known to many that I'd be sparring tonight it was more or less just talk between KBS, our club and Coach Thomas.
Hulk's was packed. Word of the club-vs-club sparring matches had spread like wildfire and many Hulkies arrived just to catch the fights while others completely paused their training to watch.
First up, fighting out of our club was Kato, our golden boy in amateur boxing. He went three rounds with his Seoul opponent and knocked him down twice. It was quite the match and Kato totally dominated it. Snickers and I were so proud of him.
Next up was me.
Upon arrival of Coach Thomas and his boxers, I first got word of who exactly my opponent is. Listed as a minimum weight boxer, meaning she fights under 48kgs, this short and cute female fighter is anything but short and cute in the ring. She sports the following championship titles:
KBS had come today for their last day of filming with us and we went out with a bang, but no black eyes like I had suspected. The "big bang" we had planned for our last day of filming was a sparring session -- four boxers from two different clubs, Hulk's and a club out in Seoul, entertaining the crowd with two sparring matches. Coach Thomas from Seoul had taken the long drive to Hulk's here in Cheonan with two of his prized boxers, one male and one female. I hadn't really let it known to many that I'd be sparring tonight it was more or less just talk between KBS, our club and Coach Thomas.
Hulk's was packed. Word of the club-vs-club sparring matches had spread like wildfire and many Hulkies arrived just to catch the fights while others completely paused their training to watch.
First up, fighting out of our club was Kato, our golden boy in amateur boxing. He went three rounds with his Seoul opponent and knocked him down twice. It was quite the match and Kato totally dominated it. Snickers and I were so proud of him.
Next up was me.
Upon arrival of Coach Thomas and his boxers, I first got word of who exactly my opponent is. Listed as a minimum weight boxer, meaning she fights under 48kgs, this short and cute female fighter is anything but short and cute in the ring. She sports the following championship titles:
South Korean Female Minimum Weight
International Female Boxers Association World Minimum Weight
Interim WBC World Female Minimum Weight
I talked to her before the sparring, super friendly to talk to, and we agreed upon four rounds for tonight's sparring. Honestly, it was intimidating to hear of her being a champion but it was also intimidating to have the cameras in our face, capturing everything.
Geared up for sparring -- turtle shells in my bra, mouth piece in my mouth, head gear on my head, and gloves now secure on my hands -- and then I stepped into the ring. I've sparred various times with this particular head gear on but my sparring was always with Snickers so I never had to take solid punches to the head. In the first round I took a hard punch and the head gear started to spin and it started to lift up, blocking my sight and causing great distraction and frustration. By the second round it proved to be too distracting and too frustrating for me so I voiced my frustrations. Snickers paused the round, called me over and took the head gear off me. I noted to him, asking if it was okay, "isn't it dangerous for me to continue without it?" He responded with "she's got a head gear on, don't worry". I wasn't worried about her though, I was worried about my own head... flattered though that he thought she needed it and not me. And on that note, me with no head gear on now, the sparring continued.
Our sparring match ended and we both hugged each other in the ring. I felt so silly for letting my nerves get the best of me before hand because I really do enjoy sparring but the sparring had been so hyped up. I really enjoyed the sparring, loved the challenge, but must note that it was as enjoyable as it was frustrating because I know I repeated a lot of my past bad habits and mistakes that I've been working so hard on correcting. I was too heavy on my feet, to focused on getting in close for the body shots and hooks, and I really should have kept my space more and gone for other combos I've been focusing on. It's all a learning experience though and those who have ever stepped into the ring to spar know exactly what I'm talking about here.
As it turns out, my opponent Eun Young is a married woman and mother, younger than me too. She noted to me that her husband doesn't support her boxing and I know all too well what that's like. Snickers is both my husband and coach but he sometimes sports on-the-fence feelings about me boxing. He wants to fully support me but he's Korean and this is Korea, and there are reasons why he was the only family member I have here that stood ringside cheering me on.
K-Gere was supposed to show up tonight and it was a bitter sweet moment when I realized he hadn't. KBS had told me the other week that they had personally invited him and I don't know whether or not it was because I had noted that no one in Snickers' family has ever attended any of my fights. Apparently inviting him to a sparring match for TV wasn't enough to change this. I'm not going to say I wasn't hurt but I'm also not going to say I wasn't surprised. Perhaps I'm a bit surprised that I was hurt -- hurt by his expected no-show.
People define the word "family" differently and my definition of it has definitely expanded and changed since I've moved to Korea and even more since I've started my own business. I now have a grandma, someone I haven't had since I was 13, so that's really awesome. It also means I have several dozen younger brothers and sisters too -- Hulkies and mini Hulkies. People define family as differently as they treat their family and I am no different. I don't particularly consider Snickers' family really as mine because they don't try to share in my interests or even so much as my Western holidays. Six years and still not one "Merry Christmas Amy". But I am okay with that because I no longer have any expectations of them with regards to fitting into my label as family. Tonight, however, 38 of my Hulkies/mini Hulkies came out to cheer me o and 8 of them were mini Hulkies who had come to the club at 3pm. I sparred at 9pm. They were all in my corner, totally backing me up and wishing me the best. That's what family is to me.
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