The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,100 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 52 trips to carry that many people.
I recently committed to producing a fortnightly video podcast to publicise K2C Martial Arts & Fitness Centre – the centre I help run. Here’s the first of many episodes. I hope you like it!
I had this interview planned last year and between the jigs and reels, we kept putting it off. Well, we eventually got around to it and here it is. You’ll learn quickly that Paul is a total head case, a certifiable nutter but you can’t deny talent when you see it. Just listening to stories of what he has achieved in Boxing, you develop a real respect for the man as an athlete and a coach. We could all learn a lot from his unwavering self belief which was no doubt a massive part of his many successes in the world of amateur boxing.
I hope you enjoy the interview. If you want to visit Paul’s Facebook page and send him a message, click here.
If you’re in the Cork area and you’d like to train with the champ, come along and train with him every Tuesday and Thursday at K2C Martial Arts & Fitness Centre at 6:30 for adults or 5:30 for the kids.
Enjoy!
Instructor Marcelo Archanjo (Kung Fu Instructor at K2C) demonstrates a technique popular in Kung Fu know as “Butterfly Palm”.
Marcelo teaches his Kung Fu class every Tuesday and Thursday evening at K2C. New beginners now enrolling. Contact K2C at 021 4309693 or visit www.K2C.ie for more details.
You can also check out Marcelo’s own web page which has loads of extra videos and articles as well as information about Marcelo himself at www.Archanjo.org
We have a new member in the K2C Instructor team. Meet Instructor Besouro from Brazil who is now teaching Capoeira at K2C every Monday evening at 7pm. As you can see from the video below, he’s at an extremely high level and trust me when I tell you, his teaching ability is just as good.
Classes are suitable for kids and adults of all fitness levels. Enjoyment Guaranteed!
A self professed all around messer who loved to party and bask in the night life decided in 2002 that he fancied a change in lifestyle and to channel his socialite energy into something a little different. Introduced to Muay Thai by a friend of a friend, Darren Cashman took to the sport like a polar bear to a bath of ice. In 2004, he fought in the ring for the first time under the guidance of Martin Horgan and Seamus Cogan. In the years that followed, he compiled a fight record all over the world with 17 wins, including an Irish Muay Thai title at 65Kgs and an Angle Irish Muay Thai title at 63Kgs. He also reached the ¼ finals of the World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand – the spiritual home of Thai Boxing. His opponents have been from Ireland, England, Italy, Iran, Poland, France, Syria and Thailand.
For the last 14 months, another lifestyle change has transformed Darren’s outlook on life once more. Now a father, his motivation for fighting has been bolstered with a burning ambition to make his daughter ‘Tori’ proud of her old man. I asked Darren about how he fits his training around his fatherly duties… “It’s a tough balance but I’ve found I’ve had to learn to be more disciplined with my time. My training is more intense because I know I have to make every minute in the gym count. I’ve also discovered a new cardio regime pushing the buggy on my runs too… burns the calves like no one’s business and as for working the guns with the nappies… I could write a book!”
Darren has a big fight coming up in April at Neptune’s Stadium – an event organised by Martin Horgan of Siam Warriors Muay Thai Gym in Blarney Street. I asked him about his opponent. “My opponent is Martin Conroy from Galway. He’s a very experienced fighter – been around the block a few times. In fact, he fought my trainer Martin Horgan a few years back. He’s a well rounded and aggressive scrapper so it should be an exciting fight”
I also asked Darren about what it takes to become a fighter on a big show like this. “Being invited to fight on a big show is an honour. It means you’ve earned the respect of your trainer and/or the promoter of the event. Not everyone gets a shot. It takes years of dedicated, consistent training, hard work and a good attitude. Being asked to fight on a card as big as this is nothing short of a privilege and I can’t wait to get in the ring at Neptune”
Poster for the big Event on April 16th 2011 at Neptune Stadium in Cork
“This is an amazing line up of great fights. Big names like Cedric Muller, Jordan Watson, Josh Palmer, James France and Panicos Yusuf are all on the card. There are 2 ISKA World Title fights! Seamus Cogan (a mentor of mine who I look up to a lot) is fighting too. There’s also a lot of local lads, up and coming, who all deserve to be showcased. Martin has done a great job putting this event together and it shows why he has become recognised worldwide as a top promoter”
Tickets for this event are available at Siam Warriors Gym, Horgans bar on Blarney Street, Spartan Thai in Ballincollig, Thai Brucies Gym, Cork Combat, Boxing Clinic and from fighters. Hurry up though because this show will be sold out!
Train with Darren
Darren teaches Muay Thai at K2C Martial Arts & Fitness Centre every Wednesday & Friday Evening from 7:30 – 9:00. He’s also got a junior class for 8 – 15 yr old on Friday at 6:30. Contact 086 1580560 or 021 4309693 for more info or you can check out K2C on facebook.
What is Muay Thai? (courtesy of Wikipedia)
Before and After shots of my recent broken nose
Of all the injuries I’ve had, I think the last has had the biggest psychological affect on me. You’re probably sick of hearing or reading about my broken nose so I promise this is the last you’ll hear of it.
So why such a big affect? I’ve been trying to figure that out for a few days now. Physically, the pain was nothing to write home about so that wasn’t it. Time wise, I’m straight back to training (not sparring but everything else) so it doesn’t have the frustration element of longer layoffs. I’m definitely going to be squeamish about taking shots in the head for a while now but I know I’ll get over that too. The affect that’s caught me is something entirely different and I’m slightly ashamed to say it has a lot to with vanity and a bit to do with my inability to be the tough guy!
Initially, I was a little annoyed that I didn’t avoid the shot that did the damage, but afterwards, I felt a bit more philosophical, thinking that battle scars build character. But as the dust settled and I sat in A&E waiting to be seen by a doctor, I found myself becoming very self conscious and paranoid. I felt very aware of perfectly normal glances that everyone swaps dozens of times a minute and began to second guess what others must have been thinking about how me. Tough n all as a twisted nose made me look, it just hammered home to me how I’m not that tough at all. My image is based on niceness, silly faces and self deprecating humour. I don’t do unwaivering self confidence or unflappable, indomitable will. I say ouch when I get kicked in the leg and before any fight, I tend to crap myself (metaphorically speaking).
This new meaner look just didn’t sit with me at all. Questions like “Do you wanna just leave it the way it is?” or “Did you fix it yourself?” elicited an “Are you fucking crazy?” response from me… not typical of a hardened fighter.
Questions I’ve been asking myself since:
Two martial artists whom I admire and look up to, sometimes display this anti-tough guy persona which helps give me some renewed motivation to keep going. The ulitmate nice guy fighter Georges St Pierre (UFC Welterweight Champion) and Jackie Chan – the reluctant hero. Both guys defy the typical hard as nails, cool exterior, don’t fuck with me look and yet still excel in what they do. Both take on highly dangerous situations and yet are not compelled to portray an heir of infallibility. Both are fighters (in a way) and yet maintain their nice guy status.
If being a fighter means that I have to take on a tough guy attitude and show no weakness, then I’m no fighter. However, I don’t see acknowledging pain or fear as an exclusion clause. I don’t think being upset about my nose being in the wrong place is a sign of weakness. I think these are very natural emotions and doubts that go through every fighter’s head. I think some fighters overcome them by ignoring them and refusing to acknowledge them. Others embrace the fear and do it anyway.
What do you guys think? Oh and by the way…. this is the last reference to the nose!
Today I visited the ENT ward at the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork to have my nose put back to where it was before boxing sparring last Tuesday evening.
I still don’t know what it is about this injury but the thought of someone pulling my face around until it cracks just doesn’t sit well with me at all. To say I was ‘a bit’ anxious would be like saying a mother in labour with triplets was ‘a bit’ pregnant. I was twitching like a well educated lamb reading the “Welcome to the abattoir” sign
Following a surprisingly short wait, I was seen by the ENT doctor. I tried my best to give him the long version of my story – anything to delay him from poking at my face. I told a couple of jokes, sang a ballad or two but when I asked him to pick a card from the deck, he stopped me and said, “Mr Griffin, what would you like me to do with your nose!?” I showed him the before and after pictures and he was set to go. I tried to show him my version of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk but he wasn’t having it. He asked me to take a seat on the treatment table and proceeded to administer the local anesthetic.
Two long clothes infused with anesthetic were rammed up my nostrils, followed by a couple of injections to the bridge of my nose. I think the doctor was mildly excited by the fear in my eyes. It was like foreplay to him. I had a flash back to a young Steve Martin playing the dentist in “Little Shop of Horrors”.
He asked if my nose was numb. I said “I fuckin hope so!” He said “Hold on to the bed here… and here”, which seemed a little strange. Perhaps he was just making sure I wasn’t in a position to punch him. Now, my distress may have altered my perception of what was going on at this point but I could swear I saw him do a few warm up exercises in the corner of the room. He started with some neck rotations, then he cracked his knuckles. He followed that with a number of sun salutations before finishing up with some shadow boxing. This was no ordinary doctor. My experience of watching “Criminal Minds” told me this man displayed classic psychopathic characteristics. He felt no remorse and took pleasure in the pain of others. I would have screamed but the anesthetic was starting to take affect. He grabbed a hold of my nose with both hands and began to push. I heard two distinct cracks but there was no end in sight for the pushing. He lowered his centre of gravity and drove into me like he was part of the Munster scrum. The bed I was holding on to began to move across the room and the heaving medic left a primal scream out of him. He said “I can’t move it back”, to which I replied “It cracked about 30 seconds ago”. He stood up and said “Oh”… My left eye brow lifted… He added “Well in that case, we’re done!”, quite pleased with himself.
A quick peek in the mirror revealed a nose which cast an equal shadow on both halves of my face. I was happy to be out of that psycho’s death clutch and I sprinted towards the door before he came back for round 2!
I’m glad to report that now my nose is back where it should be. I should be back to training straight away. Might stay away from sparring for a couple of weeks though!
Have any of you guys gone through this procedure? What was your scariest treatment?
It wasn’t my first time sitting in the Emergency room of a hospital and most likely won’t be my last. However, I think this was the most self conscious I had felt in a long while. Fresh from a boxing sparring session at the gym, my nose was giving preferential treatment to one side of my face, broken as it was.
What better time to make use of the excellent video recording features of the iPhone? This is what I looked like while I was trying to remain inconspicuous next to the vending machines.
Now, I admit a broken nose is pretty common in combat sports, especially boxing or Muay Thai. The majority of fighters I talked to this week asked “Did you fix it yourself?” or “Are you going to leave it like that?” I can’t say I’m surprised by any of these questions. After all, that’s just the done thing. However, the fact that it is my nose and that I can only see it from one eye these days banishes all scraps of toughness from my being. I’ve dealt with a lot of injury pain down through the years and I reckon I’d be hardy enough in general but when the Junior A&E doctor went to pull my nose back into a straight line without anesthetic, pain killers or even a hug, I felt my inner wimp exploding into a panic-stricken exclamation of “What the hell are you doing!???” I coiled into a fighting position as we shared one of those awkward silences like in “The Office”. A passing nurse inquired as to what was going on. I felt like saying “This crazy motherfucker wants to wake up with a crowd around him. Get him the hell away from me!” Perhaps I did say that out loud because the nurse took the junior doctor to one side and proceeded to tell him that the usual procedure for broken noses in A&E in her experience was to refer the patient the the ENT (Ear, nose & throat) ward in the South Infirmary. As I assumed the fetal position on the trolley, rocking back and forth, I muttered “Ya, you crazy fool. You aint getting none of this action!”
A few days on, I look back on my A&E performance with more than a hint of shame. Would I do it differently? Would I suck it up and just get on with it? Would I hold a cool, stern expressionless stare as my facial bones clicked back into place?… “HELL NO!”
