Back to Forida Jack's

I used the free pass that Tanya gave me to take Jen to Florida Jack's Boxing gym for Valentine's Day.

I trained there during the latter part of the nineties when Tara convinced me to join with her, to around the time when Jen and I first started dating early in this new millenium. I was always very physically active, but had gotten ridiculously out of shape during the first year of my first official desk-job. I had joined the gym at the Jewish Community Centre near my house, and was going in late at night and using the resistance machines and a little bit of swimming, but no real cardio, which is what I really needed.

Jack's was in the old space above the Burger King and the small space smelled constantly like sweatsocks. Florida Jack was certainly a character... straight out of the movies with a grizzled voice and a handlebar mustache. It was a tough workout and I really appreciated having Jack yelling at me to do hundreds and hundreds of medicine ball situps, pushups, flights of stairs, burpees, jumping jacks, and skipping skipping and more skipping. It got me into shape quickly, and having gone back to do a similar workout last night, I realize now what amazing shape I must have been in after four-five years training there.

Jack eventually moved into the currrent space it is in now, closer to the corner of Yonge and Bloor. I made some good workout friends during my time there, and developed a bond with jack's teenage son JJ who took over teaching many of classes after a while. We'd all often go for dinner at the original Spring Rolls afterwards, or for Ice Cream out at Demetres on the Danforth for birthdays. I dropped a couple of them an email a few months ago after I heard that Jack had passed away and they seem to be doing well. I asked about JJ last night and they said he was doing well, atlhough no longer involved much in the boxing community.

The first floor was completely different. All the boxing memorabilia was gone, and there are now machines and weights. Jen said the women's changeroom was ridiculously nice, although the men's didn't seem too different.. just cleaner with nicer lockers. The second floor had not changed much. They opened up the windows again to let some light into the space and created a small space for the floor to ceiling and speed bags.

The workout Jen and I did last night wasn't nearly as insane as the ones that Jack had us do back in the day. I could tell right away I was no where near the peak physical condition I must have been back in the day at Jack's. Although I have been turning my body into a different kind of dedicated machinery with my other activities now. We did skipping, burpees, pushups and situps, but it wasn't the two hour crazy workout that Jack did. I was pleased that I pushed through and did the entire workout. It was fun working the heavy bag again, and we touched on the floor to ceiling bag and speedbag. I seemed to have lost all rythm with the speed bag... although did I have much to begin with?

We didn't do the situps off the side of the ring, or carry the medicine ball up and down the stairs a billion times, and there was no one-on-one with Jack in the ring with the pads throwing combinations to finish off the workout. I found I really missed skipping! And of course the place is completely different without Jack himself there. He was basically the personality that held that place together way back when. I caught myself getting nostalgic, but people move on and go different places, that's just the way life is. I was really sad to hear Jack passes away recently and wished I had known so that I could have gone to the funeral or at least the memorial service.

Jen seemed to enjoy it, and it was a nice walk down memory lane for me. They have Muy Thai and Grappling classes there that requires a seperate membership. Perhaps we'll go and try those out. It might be nice to check it out since Jack's is where I first started doing kickboxing with Scott and Ginesse.

It was actually a nice way to spend Valentine's Day, particularly as we walked past the restaurants jam-packed crowded with people waiting for tables in order to pay for an overpriced meal. As much as I like the romantic stuff, it was cool that Jen would want to do something fun and physical like taking a boxing class. She's AWESOME.


WHAT I ATE TODAY
Flax Bagel with Cream cheese. Cool Mint Clif Bar. Orange Juice. Lick's Burger on whole wheat with all the fixin's and cheese. Fruit and Green salad. Veggie chili on a whole wheat bun.