For months, we have been hearing about Priyanka Chopra and how she physically transformed herself to become Mary Kom, the boxing champion from India, for her biopic, out on Thursday.
It was inspiring. So inspiring that I decided to become like her — for one hour of my life. I may not be the fittest person on our tabloid! team but what I lack in stamina, I make up for in spirit.
I sought the help of boxing enthusiast Jacinta Adriana De Caires at Fitness 360 gym on Al Wasl Road to teach me the basics.
Luckily, I also had Chopra herself to encourage my attempt to attain some fleeting pugilistic glory.
Her tips?
“Boxing is all about footwork, so get it right. It’s not about strength as much as it is about agility. It’s not about speed alone. It’s about quick reflexes and knowing what your opponent will do before they do it. It’s like dancing — almost,” Chopra said.
When I heard the last bit my heart sank. What were the chances that a fierce sport delivering knock-out punches will also require enhanced dancing rhythm?
But I soldiered on. De Caires asked me to come armed with hand-wraps, a tummy filled with a hearty breakfast and my game-face on. I brought all three but what I didn’t prepare for were the cardio fitness rounds that she put me through.
She asked me to lift heavy ropes and do a series of step-ups. So if you thought that boxing was all about putting those gloves on and punching a hole into the door, it’s time to throw that thought out of the window. Over 35 minutes of our one-hour session was dominated by doing a mix of cardio and learning some basic techniques of moving around in a ring.
“It’s a great workout. But we have to start with the basics. You have to be cardio-fit. The strength and the speed come later,” said De Caires. Just when I thought that I would never be allowed to step into a boxing ring with my flushed face, she signalled me to get into the ring.
Ladies and gentleman, this is where the fun truly began. Just putting the gloves on makes you feel invincible.
A volley of instructions — never take your eyes off your opponent and protect your face by keeping your clenched fists near your cheek-bones — later, we got down to business.
It was incredibly therapeutic and I wondered if anger-management courses prescribed this as a home remedy. If you have had a hard day at work or are angry at the husband for leaving a wet towel on the floor, there’s always boxing to turn to.
But like any sport, there’s no gain if there’s no pain. Prepare to feel a bit sore the next day. I may not go the extent of saying, as Chopra did, that I wear my wounds like a medal of honour, but I can see why she got hooked onto the sport. It’s addictive but it will take at least three months to get the basics right.