The Walk of Shame

In music they call it a 'one hit wonder'.
Like Soft Cells'  Tainted Love.

Buster Douglas is a great example in the 'fight game'.

A 42/1 underdog handed Tyson his first professional defeat in 1990.
or 
Leon Spinks defeat of Mohammad Ali in 1978
Spinks career record 26 wins 17 losses making the Ali victory
a kinda one hit wonder....

As far as life and love goes, we all know our share of 'walking travesties'.
We see them out at the local pub or hear their whispered stories
on the mat at the gym or by the water cooler, their lives a succession of 
'Walks of shame'.

As always in my musings I avoid the obvious, I leave it to you the reader to imply it.

One of my early karate teachers discouraged me from going to tournaments.
He told me that the rules were designed to eliminate the strengths 
of our style...specifically 'the grab'.

Joe Lewis encouraged what he called 'limitation sparring'.
A drill where you would eliminate one or more of your 'Aces'.
The idea was to enhance tactical efficacy in the event of injury or 'bad rules'.

Arthur Rabesa has such drills both on you tube, and his website.

I took 'the walk of shame' from many early tournaments.

I believed 'the master'....

I left those tournaments feeling weak and used after successive defeats.
I lost so many times my friend Tom didn't wanna go any more haha !

Roosevelt said,
It's far better to dare mighty things, 
To win glorious triumphs,
even though checkered by failure.....

Something had to change.
Joe lewis had always told me that he didn't have much respect for fighters
that were under 200 pounds. I was only 170 !!
A slow middleweight .... but I'd be a fast heavyweight.

After a tournament in my hometown of Pittsfield , MA
a referee came to me and said your gonna have to really hit your opponent
if you want to get the win. They are watching they're guys NOT YOU.

Lesson Learned !

With the help of a friend Dave Sinopoli (weight training advice)
 and boxing coach Dickie Eklund (footwork).

 I Lifted & 'Danced' (footwork drills), my way to 208 pounds
 Now I could hit like a heavyweight move like a lightweight !


Let me be strong enough to know when I am weak,
and brave enough to face myself when I am afraid,
Let me be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
 and humble and gentle in victory.

-Robb Buckland-

Words As Weapons

Stories don't end on the last page anymore than 

they begin on the first page.

We sometimes fail to remember that we have the power of life

 and death in our tongues and keyboards.

 I think it's probably a good idea to remember that we need to have love,

 faith and understanding of ourselves and to share it selflessly. 

No matter what your own perception of personal truth. 

 It's far to easy to use words as weapons especially right before 'a fall'.

 We are hard wired to resist change and when things don't go our way we tend to drag others down with us, usually it's the ones we care about the most.

The people we care about are just as troubled and insecure as we are.

Rope - a - Dope

Ali 'lost his legs' after a period of inactivity in his career.

He didn't float like a butterfly any more.

Because of this he used  legendary fighter, Archie Moores' strategy

Moore called the maneuver  'the turtle', Ali called it 'rope a dope'.

Instead of moving around the ring Ali fought leaning back against the ropes

 taking most of Foremans' heaviest blows.

It worked, he won but in essence he sacrificed himself for the win.

.......In the end Superman dies anyway, it isn't a fairy tale.

In the street the trophy is your life try to do and say the right thing along the way.

 Were all just livin'.

I tell my daughter Alli , "We do the right thing cause it's the right thing to do."

Now I've gotta learn to 'walk that walk.'

.