Little Gladiators

 

Accounts and recollections by some older women about participating in a

Boxing Phys ED Program in Northern California during the 1980s. 

This will be a series of Stories and comments by some of the girls that were in this new program that started in 1983 in the Ukiah and Redding California.

 

First Months Sept 1983

Day One here I was first day of Junior High, a brand new school Pomilita Junior High.

This was a big change from the elementary school I thought as I came in that day. I saw my friend Dee Dee and Judy walking by as I approached the school, which was in walking distance as the elementary school had also been. Hey Stoner Girls “what’s happening”? They came up and said here we go again another year what fun! Real sarcastic like. The girls were wearing Jeans I think Calvin’s and roadie Bad Company shirts Dee dee was showing a lot of her boobs she usually was the cocky one.

          

Me, I had my hair in French braids, a Red and hunter green Jumper stockings and black 2in Nine West  with cross straps

 Judy said to me “That Angie always dresses like she is some kind of star”. Hahaha. Dee chimed in well I guess we need someone to still look like a girly in our group.

Just then Peggy, Robin Jasmine came in the breezeway area. We were all there in our group a couple of the other girls had made an attempt at dressing a bit more but as usual I outshined them. A couple of them and some older kids were poking fun at my braids so I started to get a little ticked. I would soon find a remedy for this .We all stood around as we tried to figure where first period was and broke up before heading there. The bell rang for school that is, and we all scurried off to class. Although we all didn’t know it at the time when 4th period came we would all be together. It was Gym class and as we walked in to the Chessall Gymnasium I was amazed at everything all new and shiny it had never been used. This school was very high tech. The Gym was divided into several different areas but I couldn’t see the other part yet. About 20 to 26 girls all went in to the classroom to the side and sat down.

Then Coach Wilson

came out with some papers and forms in his hands and started talking. “As you are aware this is the first year here for me as it is for you.” “Pomilita and the Panther Program along with much of Mendocino County is going to be initiating some new PE Programs. You may not know but female attacks and abuse has been in a steady rise for the past 3 years and this year looks worse than last year. It is important that girls know how to defend themselves. How many of you girls take some kind of Martial Arts now?” About 5 to 7 hands went up and Judy had taken some Karate but most of us hadn’t although none of us would back down from a good hard fight. I got a kick out of scrapping it out being dressed up. I guess it was deceiving. Coach Wilson continued “so we at Pomolita will be offering an alternative to standard Gym programs unless you are on a school team then you will have to be in the regular program”. Well it seemed half our class must have been the Volleyball and Soccer team as they raised their hands. There were now only about 18 girls left. ‘Okay all of a sudden there was sternness in Coaches voice I know about some of you big bad reps out there. We will not put up with any of your BS

for fighting on the school grounds. We are going to be offering Wrestling and Boxing classes here. This is mostly for your Self defense but also we feel that if you have a way to get your aggressions out in a controlled situation you wont be inclined to do it out there in an uncontrolled and possibly fatal situation’. I looked around the room most of the girls were in a daze kind of curious.

Boxing I thought with gloves, hmm I had an episode with that already. Oh yeah I creamed that little bitch.

I looked over at Dee who was a good fighter and Dawn the only other girl who had Boobies like mine both girls were kind of ancy lightly punching there fist in there cupped hands you could hear a light smack ! Coach Wilson then said “tell you what lets go look at both programs and overview and then you can decide’. We all walked out of the room and into a separate room. There were mats and weights all around. All new fresh smell. They had a women and man on the mats as they told us to sit on the floor and watch. They gave us a basis of what was going on and they talked about wrestling strategies and holds. It was pretty wild and the woman showed how she could flip the man over backwards WACK boy he was pinned fast. Then he turned around and did the same to her. ‘This great exercise and good to know” Coach said as they continued. Okay take a break go over to the Boxing Ring and we will be there in a minute. You could see some girls didn’t even care about the Boxing part they liked what they had seen. However as I gazed over and saw Dee acting like she was punching me and laughing with Judy I knew where we heading. As we walked out of the Wrestling room down this hall into another section The Ring Mats Heavy Bag Speed Bags. Though I didn’t know all this stuff at the time I would learn. The Woman and man came from behind the door and jumped up into the ring.

Wow I thought a woman and Man Boxing; they had on Shorts and These Rubber Protectors, Headgear Seemed to cover most of their face, One Black and the Other Red Boxing Gloves. He had on these Boot things and white Socks .She had on kind of Coullote and Tank top White Socks and Flats. The went to there stools and then Coach Rang a bell. They came out touched gloves and started moving around Light Punches some combinations. I think the loud popping of the Gloves hitting Body and Headgear made some girls real squeamish but my group was watching intently. They sparred for about 5 minutes, no one seemed to get hurt but they both seemed good. Then as they had almost finished The guy had hit the Woman in the corner she for some reason she dropped her gloves and He threw a punch that landed right on her forehead THUD She fell into the corner and collapsed in the ring. WOOOOO Everyone seemed a little hushed. As I saw her down in there I have to admit I felt something below in me and started to get excited a bit. This is still with me today a grown lady mother of kids its an incredible feeling.

No Sooner than the coach counted to 3 she jumped up. We all kind of jumped back. ‘PROTECT your Head and Face at all times Right!!!” She seemed to want us to Parrot back to her I think we were pretty attentive at the time and did just that RIGHT. Then she said something I will never forget, “remember your best punch is the one that’s in your mind but if you lose your head you won’t be able to use it”. Wow I thought.

After the exhibition they talked a little more. Coach said you need to get you parents permission to do any of this on the PE Slip but I think you would enjoy whichever one you might decide on. They talked a little about what we had seen and described some of what we had seen but it was daze to me. The girls in the Stoners seemed to all be up for it I think Peggy and Shelia were a little tentative but went along cause of pressure although as the months and years went by they would always just go through the motions it seemed. Didn’t they learn anything? As they finished Coach brought out couple of Boxes and each was packed full of new equipment. In Wrestling there isn’t any but the small headpiece protector. Boxing of course is different. About 5 of us walked by and reached down on the table picking up the gloves and messing with headgear.

                                                                      

I looked over at Dee who really seemed cocky and anxious I was the same but the smell of the new Leather gloves and feel of it all got me excited again. I had gone through the stage earlier than most of these girls and was starting to have more episodes of this. The Coach brought out a small Box and then said Ok ay how many girls do you think might want to give this program a shot. About 12 of us raised our hands and the other said no Wrestling is what they wanted to do. I looked around Dee, Judy, Robin, Melanie, Jasmine, Dawn, a few others that weren’t in our crowd  and me Angie who loves to Dress up pretty wears Braids and was going to learn how to Box. SHhhhh I got a little quiver. The Coach counted up 12 small boxes and said we are going to be having classroom for the first several days but by the end of the week you will each have your first adventures in the ring. There will be plenty of equipment for outside practice and if you like we may make arrangements for you to use some equipment for at home. We feel that it will be better to have any unrest here at Pomolita take place in the rings then in the street. Here you go and passed out Mouthpieces these are real important for obvious reasons Hahaah. Follow the instructions at home to make them conform to your teeth protect yourself at all times. Now as you go back to classroom pick up your Gym Uniforms and we will see you tomorrow. He kind of laughed as we left and heard him say under his breath Pomilitas Little Gladiators.

We didn’t know then but this would be a major part of our development in Junior and high School too. I was in a daze the rest of the day but when I got home I got very nervous. Mom isn’t going to let little Angie go get clobbered Boxing was she? That night came and it went real smooth I laid on the Self-defense and Esteem stuff she was busy with some filing and just seemed to sign the note without really paying attention. I couldn’t believe it. In bed that night I kept tossing and turning thinking about it a little nervous but anxious, oh the feel of the gloves was kind of a turn on and it seemed good. I finally couldn’t sleep I got up and put on my Gym uniform and looked through the book bag and found the mouthpiece it said to heat it up under hot water and then bite hard to make it conform. It felt funny but I could see how it would work I made tough faces at myself in the mirror and remembered what the Boxing women had said about the Punches in your mind. Then I noticed something was missing, no Shoes. Gee what to wear Could I wear Flats, I would liked Heels lol but I reached back and grabbed my metallic gold  Size 7 La

                                    

 Gears Humph these will be distracting I thought and very light I put on white anklets socks and then laced up my La Gears. I didn’t know it then but those shoes would take me along way in this new venture and interest. I made more faces and started to dance around a bit feeling even cockier and definitely cuter than the others. No one was ever going to beat Angie at that. Its exciting I thought and then I punched myself in the nose pretending I had been hit. Damn I couldn’t believe it, Blood trickled out. Idiot I hadn’t punched that hard. As went back in the washroom to get Kleenex I became a little concerned how easily I had started to bleed. Tomorrow was almost here. Well its something I thought to myself that I will have to work on and get tougher.

 I can do this I thought and I ll be the best and tomorrow I WILL !!!!