What’s the most important piece of equipment you need on fight night? No, it’s not your jockstrap, all though if you’re looking to have kids you may think it is. Think again. It’s your mouth piece, the last thing you think of and put on before the start of the fight. I have forgotten mine a few times and had to buy a cheap $2 mouth piece. I could have been knocked out. Not smart considering all a good mouth piece does for a boxer.

 

There are three main types of mouth pieces. The cheap ones you get at any old sporting good store. More expensive mouth pieces which get boiled so they fit better. And lastly the mouth guards you get made up at a dentist. You may think that a more expensive mouth piece is out of the question or just not worth the money. Well, each type of guard increases your protection and may even have performance enhancements not found in the cheaper guards.

 

The regular run of the mill mouth guards will mainly do one thing. It will keep your teeth from falling out. So if all you’re looking for is tooth protection save your money and go cheap. In the long run you’re limiting air flow. Also, your teeth will not be in optimal position to save that glass jaw of yours.

        

Next, we have the middle grade mouth guards that everyone usually buys. They cost $15-$150 and may come with some form of ventilation which will increase your air flow. These guards, like I stated before, are usually more of a custom fit. You boil them and then have them contoured to your mouth. Some have kits that allow you to send impressions of your teeth to a company to have a special guard made up. This is better and my even save you from a few upper cuts or hooks to the jaw.

 

Lastly, and possibly the state of the art at the moment, is the ultra guards that are out there. These guards are usually $750 and up. You say crazy? Not really. What’s not getting knocked out worth to you? Or how about being able to throw full force punches well into the 12th round? OK, so you’re not looking to go into the 12th round. Maybe you’re hoping your opponent is wearing a cheap mouth guard that only protects his teeth so you can knock him out. You still never know.

 

These high end ultra mouth guards take a lot into consideration. We can start with your bite. The dentist will usually relax the jaw and neck muscles using electrical stimulus, massage, acupuncture or chiropractic. This will allow for the best possible impression. Just think, if your muscles are tight the impression will be off and you will have a guard made from an unbalance mouth. Clench your teeth, now feel the muscles on the side of your head and jaw. Do you feel the tightness? While it may be secure it is also very fragile and uneven.

        

The next important part in fitting the mouth guard is your jaws natural alignment. A good guard should be fitted based on the center point of your bite. Using a computer an image is generated of your jaw as you move the jaw up and down, left to right, and in and out. The most comfortable position allowing for the most relaxation of your facial muscles is what you need to look for. Every one has a comfort zones with a space between your upper and lower jaw which keeps you confident.

 

  

 

As athletes we are always looking for that added edge, that little extra something that makes us better then the next guy. In my mind one such edge is breathing. Yes, breathing! Something we do subconsciously, without thinking, but if trained it can be an ally to a good boxer. How we breath is important in may ways and how we train ourselves to breath properly is even more important. I like adding yoga or pilaties to my workout once or twice a week to help with breathing control. The boxer who controls his breathing will be the least winded. You will also have more energy and look the freshest after a fight.

 

 

 

 

The thing to understand is there are two basic types of breathing. The first type is abdominal breathing. Abdominal breathing is when you breath though your abdominal region, concentrating on bringing your stomach in when you exhale and out when you inhale. The second type of breathing is rib cage breathing. This is how you breath when you get exhausted. You begin to use secondary muscles located in the front of your neck. These muscles are used to lift the rib cage up and down. This type of breathing can take a lot more energy out of you then abdominal breathing and can lead to you to drop your chin or lean your head forward, opening you up for a possible knockout punch. Another important factor in breathing is knowing where you breath in from. Do you breath in from your mouth or nose? If your breath through your mouth you leave your jaw open for a good knockout punch. The more winded you get the more this will happen. Concentrating on a combination of nose and abdominal breathing will help lead you on the road to success. To help train your breathing and strengthen your core I suggest yoga or pilates. Think your to macho for yoga or pilates? Think again.

 

Yoga is a great exercise to train your body to breath better. Brought to us from the Hindu religion, yoga is a form of meditation that brings together proper breath and stretching. You’re holding your positions and breathing though your sticking point to help lengthen the muscles and allow proper oxygen flow to the area being worked on. Yoga will help you gain strength and flexibility through isometric position holding. Holding each pose and breathing through what is being felt will allow for a physical and spiritual improvement in your training. It is a great way to end your day or just get over a tough one. Guys, its not just for woman any more.

 

Pilates is great for core control and breathing. The slow controlled smooth movements are great for your focus and relaxation. It is something extra to add on your days off or when your feeling stressed. Pilates was started by Joseph Pilates. Pilates is known for his work with the ballet. What people don’t know is Mr. Pilates was originally a rehab specialist who worked on injured German soldiers and then became a boxing trainer before he was a ballet guru. He was brought to the US and had his first studio given to him by non other then Max Schmeling, a former Heavy weight champ. So, while some of his exercises my look soft and pretty, they are brought about though adaptations of what he did for soldiers and boxers alike.

 

Yoga and pilaties will not only help you with your breathing but, it will also increase your abdominal strength as well. A big thing to understand is that the abs are lengthened when you have tight psoas muscles. This will limit the amount of air inhaled per breath. Through these exercises, your abs will be strengthened and the psoas muscles will be stretched to increase your breathing ability.

 

I am more then sure that adding these two practices to your training will aid in reaching your goals. The controlled breathing and meditation will allow you to use less energy then someone who just comes out to brawl. You will expend less energy and have a clearer mind to help make those crucial split second decisions that can win you the fight. If your to embarrassed to go to your local yoga or pilates studio, I suggest you find a good instructor and see if he or she will come to your gym to work with you and your training partners.

 

Dr. Pietro Baio DC

Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.

7315 Ave U

Brooklyn, NY 11234

(917)-309-5464

PBaio_DC@yahoo.com

myspace.com/performanceedgechiro

The ever likable Philadelphia middleweight, Jamaal ‘Da Truth’ Davis  7-4 (6KOs), announced that sponsorship from DiamondBoxing.com has been secured for his fight against against fellow Philly boy, Chris Hall 3-4-1(2KOs), at the National Guard Armory, Philadelphia on Saturday 4th October.

As October is Cancer Awareness month the sponsorship monies have been donated to the American Cancer Society in the name of his young bride, Patrilla, who passed away just one week before Christmas 2007 after battling breast cancer for many years.

Sharron Baker and Jamaal Davis

Jamaal who has been busy preparing for his upcoming fight took a few minutes off to say “I really appreciate the love I’m getting from Rob and Diane at Diamond Boxing with this sponsorship. It’s a big thing for me, they took the time to come and speak with us at the gym and gave me the chance to voice how things are for me and just how hard it was for me to continue my career after losing so much by losing my wife, who was just 25 years old when she passed. They’ve shown me great  love by supporting myself and the American Cancer Society by getting the message out there so others can be aware and look after themselves. I cannot thank them enough and intend to be a great ambassador for them and the ACS by finding ways that I can help cancer sufferers and their families.”

Robert of Diamond Boxing, who fully appreciates all that Jamaal went through during those traumatic times, as he also recently lost a treasured family member to breast cancer, mother Rosalyn Meltzer, said “Diamond Boxing is dedicated like Jamaal Davis to help in anyway possible to raise money for the fight against cancer. We are hoping the boxing community comes together and supports the effort. Jamaal and his family have faced challenging times with the passing of his Jamaal’s wife Patrilla last year to breast cancer. Throughout they courageously stood together, now with all their strength and heart they are doing what it takes to help fight cancer. Diamond Boxing is honored to participate and hopefully one day soon there will be a cure for this deadly disease.”

On fight night, Team ‘Da Truth’ as well as family members and some of the fighters, such as IBF Cruiserweight World Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, from The James Shuler Memorial Gym will be wearing custom made Diamond Boxing/American Cancer Society shirts to show their support of Jamaal, Diamond Boxing and the American Cancer Society.

Headlining the Philadelphia Worldwide promoted event will be former world junior middleweight champion Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, 25-5-1 (15 KOs) against Martinus ‘Magnificent’ Clay 13-18-4 (5KOs) from Wilson, North Carolina.

The co-feature fight will star middleweight Simon ‘Slick Fighting Irish’ O’Donnell, 6-1 (3 KOS), a native of County Galway who fights out of Philadelphia against an opponent yet to be officially announced.

Another Philadelphia resident, Dennis Hassan 4-2 (2KOs) takes on Brooklyn, New Yorker, William Jeter 3-1 (2KOs), in a super middleweight contest. All the way from Dublin, Ireland, Patrick Hyland 14-0 (7KOs), has come to take on Santiago, Dominion Republic native, Elvis Luciano Martinez 11-26-2 (5KOs), in a featherweight battle. Patrick’s twin brother, Paul 12-0 (4KO’s), is also in action, competing in the Super Bantamweight class, against the Colombian born Miami resident, Felix Flores 14-9-1 (11KOs).Taking part in an all Philadelphia Lightweight match are, former World Heavyweight Champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon’s son, Tim Jnr. 0-1 and Kywame Hill 1-3 (1KO).

Pete Suski (Promoter), Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, Sharron Baker,
Jamaal Davis and Tom Moran (Promoter)

The last word has to go to Jamaal who said “Please come out and support us and the American Cancer Society on Saturday. If you can’t make it to the fight please look out for the many events that will be taking place throughout October, which is cancer awareness month.”

Date:

Saturday 4th October 2008

Location:

National Guard Armory
2700 Southampton Road
Philadelphia

Tickets:

Tel: 866 777 5077

Philly’s James Shuler Memorial Gym the Foundation of Boxing Champions

BY:  Diane Bennett www.diamondboxing.com   

 

 

 

 

 

When you write about James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym and its boxers your words need to be golden, each word needs to be carefully thought out each word must be crisp and precise. Most of all your thoughts need to have passion and desire, you need to be dedicated to your story and be able demonstrate commitment.  Since these are the keys to the James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym from the crispness of their hits, to their passion, dedication and desire to be successful, the boxers, trainers and coaches at Shuler’s expect only the best of themselves. Commitment runs rampant within the gym walls from the up and coming amateurs to the experienced professionals they all share the same goals. When it comes to boxing history especially the rich Philly Boxing History no one at Shuler’s comes up short either. They can tell you about the greats from Jolting Jeff Chandler to Bernard Hopkins, from Bob Montgomery to Tim Witherspoon.

Each boxer training on the day we visited wasted no time to show us the love they have for their sport and for each other within the gym. And it was for the love he had for the late James Shuler that Percy “Buster” Custus opened the James Shuler Memorial Gym in 1994.Cutus a trainer had met Shuler while he was working out at Joe Frazier’s Gym the two established a special relationship. They were friends for over 14 years, until Shuler’s life was cut short when he passed away from a fatal motorcycle accident in March 1986.

 

 

 

The city of Brotherly Love holds true to form in Shuler’s when we chatted with Gee Culmer, Jamaal Davis, Steve Cunningham, Marianne Marston, Jason Sia, Sharron Baker and Percy Custus himself each one in their own words described the support and encouragement they exude for each other. It was Jamaal Davis who said it best if it wasn’t for everyone in my Shuler Gym family I would not have been able to go forward with my career after the passing of my wife Patrilla to cancer last year “There is nothing else I would rather do than be in this gym”. Davis spoke about how at 4AM he can call his trainer Sharron Baker and without hesitation she will pickup the phone and listen to him. He told us how Steve Cunningham and his family was there every step of the way to help him deal with the challenging times he was facing and how Nazim Richardson (trainer of Bernard Hopkins) and Percy Custus guide him, “They are my father figures” Davis says. Davis who has dedicated his career to his wife is scheduled to fight on October 4th at the National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia.