Breaking Points

"There's always a point at which people will break.  That's why you train mental toughness.  Everyone will break - there's not a man alive that can't be broke.  Your job, with all that mental training, that suffering, is just to push your own line of mental breaking so far back that your opponent can't find it.  Then you take your opponent and get him to cross his line, because once he starts breaking he accepts your dominance, you can finish him off."

- Josh Waitzkin
"The Fighter's Mind," by Sam Sheridan



Listening to: Damian Marley - "Confrontation""

Fight Preview - Manny Pacquiao vs. Josh Clottey

  March 13th will feature the return of one of boxing's two current claimants to the mythical pound for pound title.  Philipino sensation, Manny Pacquiao (145 3/4) will square off against the durable Joshua Clottey, a native of Ghana now fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Bronx, New York.  

  Both fighters find themselves in the rare situation of sharing their last common opponent.  Clottey lost a very close, controversial decision to Puerto Rican star, Miguel Cotto, just months before Pacquiao annihilated Cotto in 12 rounds at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

  Pacquiao has been involved in controversy ever since that November 14th bout, as negotiations between Pacquiao and rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell through after an inability to agree on drug testing procedures.  After the Mayweather/Pacquaio fight was nixed, Clottey was able to step into the picture as a replacement dance partner for Manny Pacquiao's March 13th date at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  

  Clottey is a 15 year pro who brings an impressive record of 35 wins and 3 losses into his bout with Pacquaio (50-3).  Clottey has faced a murderer's row in terms of this era's best welterweights, but has often come up just short in his biggest fights.  Clottey suffered the first lost of his career against former world champion, Carlos Baldomir back in 1999 by disqualification for excessive head-butts.  He then ran off a string of victories against B-level competition before losing a unanimous decision against the since-disgraced Mexican star, Antonio Margarito.  He then splattered a blown-up lightweight in Diego "Chico" Corrales before scoring the best win of his career in a lopsided victory over Zab Judah in 2008.  Clottey capitalized on his strong performance to secure a fight against Miguel Cotto in the venerable Madison Square Garden.  Despite a very strong performance, Cotto was the man with his hands raised at the end, despite the angry protestations of an irate Clottey.  Clottey has earned a reputation for being good enough to give any fighter a tough night, but not quite good enough mentally to come away with a victory over the division's elite.

  He may be in over his head tomorrow night against the whirlwind that is Manny Pacquiao.  While he is a very strong and durable fighter at 147 pounds, Clottey will be facing an absolutely horrible stylistic matchup for him in the southpaw Pacquiao.  Clottey employs a very straight up defensive posture, putting his gloves up in front of his face in an "earmuff" style of defense, while letting opponents beat on his arms and gloves.  It works well against orthodox fighters and orthodox punches, and Clottey rarely gets hit clean.  Against Pacquaio, who emphasizes the use of punches from strange angles and a non-stop, relentless attack, Clottey is going to get beaten to the punch all night. While Clottey's high guard works well against the straight right hand and left hook, favorite weapons from orthodox fighters, he will be there to be hit by the overhand left and right uppercuts of Philipino's favorite son.  

  If Clottey sees the last bell, it will be scored a wide Unanimous Decision for Pacquiao.  More likely, this fight will end in the late rounds by referee stoppage as Clottey takes a huge amount of punishment both in the center of the ring and against the ropes.

 

Salamander Orgies, Waterfalls, and Powerful Insight into the Womenfolk

It's important to call "shotgun" when you are driving in Jai's car.  That's because she has seat warmers and they are awesome.  I was all hopped up on caffeine and death metal when I met up with Jai and Shawna for our bi-weekly trek.  They were looking pretty fired up themselves.  That was a little surprising, since I knew they had spent the night previous at a salsa club, probably downing tequila shots and rubbing up on Latin men named "Enrique."

     We headed out, and I, by way of preemptive "shotgun" call, enjoyed the kickass seat warmer.  Shawna then pulled a slick one by feigning car-sickness, a horrible malaise that can only be cured by sitting in the front seat.  We made a quick stop on a turn-out, and I spent the rest of the drive pouting in the backseat.   

    Jai picked a hell of a pretty hike this time out, and we spent a few hours hiking under a green canopy that hugged the Northern California coastline.

    We passed a large puddle in the middle of the trail that was full of newts.  They were horny little bastards.  Of the 25-30 we saw, probably half of them were getting down.  A few piles of 3 or 4 at a time were going at it.  Shawna blushed.  It was cute.

    We arrived at the highlight of the trip; a series of waterfalls that lead out of the forest and flow off of a steep drop-off ending on the beach and into the Pacific Ocean.  

    We tripped and stumbled our way down the steep, dirt trail leading to the beach, where we could eat our sandwiches and drink our whiskey.  Shawna and Jai nearly died.  I blame Enrique.

    I finally remembered to bring my flask.  Jameson Irish Whiskey, Boi!

    After that, we stumbled back up the hill, flopped about dramatically by the waterfalls, and headed home.  There was an excess of estrogen, and I learned all sorts of useful information about women.  Seriously, I am enlightened.  And I owe it all to these two.

Location: Bolinas (Marin County)

Mileage: 8.6m

The Rule of 10,000 Hours and Taking an Ass-Whuppin'

    I don't think he's the guy to actually come up with it, but Malcom Gladwell, author of "Outliers," is probably the guy who popularized the concept of 10,000 hours being required to become an expert at any one thing.  Simply put, to become an expert at a skill, you must put in your dues...dues that cash in at right around 10,000 hours of dedicated, informed and focused training.  Ever since the book came out, I've seen the concept mentioned, discussed and repeated all over the place.  

    Most recently, I found it in Sam Sheridan's new book, "The Mind of a Fighter."  It's a pretty kickass book that attempts to answer the questions about the mental game involved in combat sports.  One of the men interviewed for the book was legendary fighter and trainer, Pat Miletich.  Miletich's contribution to the overall puzzle is that gaining some degree of competency in the sport was simple..."You had to take plenty of ass-whuppin's."  

    That's a pretty common expression that you hear.  You got to pay your dues.  You have to be humbled, beaten, broken-down and taught by people with more experience than yourself.  So with that in mind, I pay homage to the 5 worst ass-whupping's I have received in my boxing career, listed in no particular order.  To those responsible, thanks...I think.

1. Johnny Black - Was being trained down in Costa Mesa by Jesse Reid at the time.  Despite fighting at lightweight (135 lbs), he gave me such a bad beating to the body one sparring session that I was pissing blood for the next two days.

2. Arturo Quinterto - Another lightweight fighter, Arturo was the first guy to ever hit me hard enough for me to need to call for a breather.  In the 2nd of the 3 rounds we sparred, he landed a perfectly timed and perfectly executed shot to the liver that felt like he had used a baseball bat.  I was lucky that it came near the end of the round and that it was just a sparring session.  He was a complete gentleman about it, and actually thanked ME for the work.

3. Henry Molloy - Won the 152 pound Golden Gloves in 2007.  My sparring sessions with Henry all came after he had retired from competition and was only training for fun and to stay in shape.  Even still, he is probably one of the top 2 or 3 hardest punchers I have ever worked with.  He doesn't have great speed but his punches just land like wreaking balls.  He is a guy that will keep coming forward no matter how many hard shots you land on him.  It's discouraging and a little scary to land your best shots, just to have the guy keep walking forward through them all. 

4. Unknown - I can't recall the guy's name, but he was an open class fighter down in Orange County before I had had my first amateur fight.  By far the most dominated that I have ever been in a sparring session.  I don't think I landed a single significant punch, but I was on the receiving end from bell to bell. 

5.  Mike Fernandez - Mike's only 19, but he is leagues better than me.  He started competing back when he was 7 or 8, and we will probably see him on TV one of these days when he turns pro.  I shouldn't say that it's an ass-whuppin', because he is one of those guys who knows how to work with people that are less experienced or less talented than him.  That being said, it is always obvious that he can take it a step higher than however hard I want to take the sparring session.  That kind of control is pretty impressive in a young guy.  He has a very good and fast straight right hand, and can double up on the left hook to the body and head like a 10 year pro.  Works good, ripping uppercuts on the inside.

The World's Bitchiest Real Estate Agent

I had an appointment to check out an apartment in Silver Lake tomorrow morning.  The agent asked me to be sure to let him know if I needed to cancel.  This morning I found an awesome apartment in Santa Monica.  I signed the lease, and when I got back to my car, I had an email from the Silver Lake agent:

Agent: 

Martin,

Just confirming that our representative will see you at the building at 11AM

Tomorrow (Tuesday 11AM)

_____________________________

Me:

Dear XXXX: thanks for the email follow-up. I just signed a lease for an apartment, so will not need the showing tomorrow. Thank you for your time and best of luck in finding a tenant.
Martin

_____________________________

Agent:

I’m glad that “I” emailed you!!  Otherwise we’d be left out to dry!

_____________________________

Me:

No, you wouldn't have. I emailed you literally 5 minutes after I left the office and would have called if I didn't get your email. 

_____________________________

Agent:

Yeah, okay...whatever

_____________________________

Agent (again):

One thing I’ve learned… Or should have known, no exceptions… No favors..

You have to realize that you took a lot of several people’s time.  Endless

Emails, scheduling 3^rd parties etc…   Hiring personnel…  It will never happen

Again…

_____________________________

So...I really want to punch this guy in the ovaries.  Any lawyers out there know if I would be able to get away with assault in a case like this?  You know, where it is obviously justified?