KEEPING IT REAL

                                   KEEPING IT REAL

     “I can’t believe they call this “reality boxing”!”  chimes the half-exasperated, half-amused Ross Enamait.  “This is nothing but drama, glitz, and smack!  People watching this crap will think that anybody can box!”
     Ross Enamait as usual is multitasking.  He is watching a videotape of last night’s episode of Fox’s “Next Great Champ”, jumping rope, and talking to yours truly.  Ross is what I might call a “throwback hybrid”.  He is testy and forthright, independent, noncomforming, and above all, passionate about everything he undertakes.  First and foremost Ross is a fighter, a scholar of the “sweet science” of boxing, and has been ever since the age of  five when Mom laced up his first pair of gloves.  In addition to being a boxer himself, Ross is also a boxing trainer and writer, and founder of www.rossboxing.com and www.warriorforce.com.  In short, Ross’s life is about fighting!  However, Ross is not about violence and street fighting.  In fact the opposite holds true.  He is about using the sport of boxing in such a way that it actually deters the participants from fighting amongst themselves in a bloodied and drug-infected street setting.  Ross considers himself a teacher of skills and attitudes that prevent trouble, pain, and hardship for many impoverished youths who inhabit the streets of Hartford Connecticut.  “Boxing has done a lot for me over the years.  I used to be nothing but an angry thug looking to fight and steal.  But I have been lucky in that I became more enthralled with the science of the sport in the ring.  It changes ones outlook…makes him think differently about the need for discipline and responsibility.  Now I want to give back as much as I can and teach others some of the lessons that I had to learn the hard way.”  Indeed, Ross is no stranger to discipline and the learning of lessons!  He possesses Bachelor Degrees and Master Degrees in the Sports Sciences and is also a personal trainer certified by the International Sports Sciences Association.  Moreover, he has written several books that deal with the training and nutritional requirements of boxers, martial artists, and other athletes.
     When I asked Ross what makes boxing so different from other “mainstream” sports, he simply smiles and states that there are subtleties to the sport that are just completely overlooked by most people who do not truly follow and participate.  “Everybody is completely overwhelmed when they see Michael Jordan sky eight feet in the air and dunk a basketball.  Everybody reacts like crazy when they see Marcus Allen run 75 yards for a touchdown.  These are seemingly superhuman feats in the eyes of most.  And yet for some reason everybody, but everybody, thinks he can box!  That is absurd!  Boxing is a skills sport!  It is the “sweet science” that embodies life more than any other.  And its historical richness is unparalleled!”
     I have to chuckle at Ross’s passionate state of arousal as he speaks of this sport.  He is a REAL fanatic to say the very least!  But one can not argue with what the man says nor with the results that he sees on a daily basis.  He invites all to visit his website and participate in forum discussions, where one can quickly observe the reverence that his many “disciples” pay him.  The man is strict and quick to crack the whip if necessary, but at his core, deep within the leather-weathered body, lie intention and purpose that is golden-gloved!  When prodded for a one-lined summary of advice to offer the boxing novice, the pugilist pensively responds “Keep your hands up, listen to those who have been there before, hit, and don’t be hit.”  Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it??