Steve Somerville
Alex Edwards gives it her all at Point Blank Martial Arts and Fitness in Aurora.
Sports
November 22, 2008 08:31 PM
One punch at a time
Olivia Blackmore
When we think of boxing clubs, we tend to picture a ring in a dark gym along with the strong odour of sweat and anger.
We see boxers with huge muscles, drenched in sweat, beating a bag to the Rocky theme.
But not all the athletes who train at Point Blank Martial Arts and Fitness in Aurora are huge guys drenched in sweat. There are girls, too.
One of the sport’s common stereotypes is it’s male-oriented because of its violent nature.
But boxing is about more than just learning how to throw a punch. It’s just as challenging psychologically as it is physically.
It’s a sport in which more women are becoming involved, including 16-year-old Alex Edwards, who says she boxes because it’s good exercise.
“I was lazy, so I tried to find the most challenging sport and, luckily enough, my mom found a boxing club in the area,” she said, adding two of her female cousins also box.
Point Blank is one of only a few boxing clubs in York Region.
“Everybody’s friendly here,” Edwards says. “I took karate for awhile and ... people of higher ranks, like black belts, would always flaunt it.”
With boxing, you don’t have to compete if you don’t want to, as some use the sport as a way of boosting their fitness levels.
“But if you want to (compete), they’ll push you hard,” Edwards says.
Women who take up boxing often have one goal — to lose weight. But that goal can become something stronger, a determination to become healthier, learn self defence and maybe even become a fighter.
“I like the fact that when you tell someone you box, they’re ... surprised,” Edwards says with a smile.
It’s all about your mindset, says Paul Oddi, owner and trainer of Point Blank. Unlike team sports, it’s only you and your opponent.
When your body aches, it’s mental toughness that gets you through, he says.
Once a sport for a select few, boxing is growing in popularity and even models are using boxing to stay in shape, thanks to the full-body workout it provides.
Rather than gaining large amounts of muscle, boxing can help you become more toned and it also increases agility, co-ordination and confidence.
And for Edwards and other boxers, the sport isn’t just about knocking your opponent out, it’s about strategy.
“I like boxing because you come back learning something,” she says.
“My family goes running a lot, but that’s all it is, you’re just running, you’re not going anywhere.”
As for boxing’s male-oriented stereotype, Edwards thinks it’s “ridiculous”.
Women’s boxing can be traced back as far as the 1720s and it became popular in 1904 when it was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Olympics.
“Girls are realizing we can do anything,” Edwards says.
Olivia Blackmore is a co-op student from École secondaire catholique Renaissance working at The Era/ The Banner this semester. She’s also a boxer.