When I was about 13 years old, 1973 and training with Godin exclusively I actually got a pulled hamstring. During the early training, I love to throw kicks especially high kicks my hands were pretty much straight punches and then a variety of kicks I hadn’t really introduced hooks into my arsenal yet. Well, the pulled hamstring really hampered my kicking, so I went and asked Godin. Godin told me that I should give my hamstring a rest by going to the local boxing gym and practicing my boxing to give my hamstrings some well-needed rest.
The local boxing gym was called Palolo gym. So the next day instead of catching the bus to 404 Piko Street, where Godin‘s gym was, I caught the Palolo bus to go to Palolo boxing gym. I remember the first time I walked into this very simple, about 1200 square-foot old-school boxing gym. They were for hanging heavy bags, two-speed bags, and a boxing ring. The trainer Peter Jhun, had a tiny office, this gym was free the boxing gyms in Hawaii are run by parks and recreation. I walked into peters office and told him the situation, he welcomes me and told me to go get changed I would start my training as a boxer. Palolo boxing gym is situated next to one of the “worst” housing projects in Hawaii. In the next couple years some of my best friends were from there, so it even though I said it was one of the worst housing projects in Hawaii, it was actually one of my favorite places to hang out. Like I said, some of my best friends lives there and has a 13-year-old boy, I love to hang around with my friends. Anthony, Luis, Sam, we’re all great to hang out with they were all local and raised in the projects, but we had a great time and though I didn’t look like anyone from Palolo housing, having long blonde hair and all, they still treated me like family, and I love to hang out there. Probably my best friend who lives in Palolo housing was named Adam, we hung out a lot, I would even spend the night at his house because after training I would go running and I would be too tired to catch the bus home. Adam lived in the housing, and he still does, in fact, his son and grandkids live there as well. I Took to boxing very quickly, and I actually fell in love with it. Even after my hamstring healed, I continued to train at the gym, in fact, I would juggle training with Godin, and at the boxing gym.
The trainer at the boxing gym actually got me some amateur boxing matches, and I remember my first one was in a town called Waianae, which isn’t known for its hospitality towards haoles, that’s what they called White people in Hawaii. So I was more nervous about fighting in such hostile territory, that I was about my opponent. Adam, myself, and my trainer Peter drove from Palolo to Waianae, and Adam told me he had my back, and if you guys knew Adam you would feel safe as well, he was one of the most imposing and intimidating locals that I ever knew growing up in Hawaii.
The nerves built as I got closer to Waianae, but like I said since Adam was in the car with me the nerves were very minor. To my surprise when they announced me in the ring there were no boo’s, no cheers, but at least no boo’s. The bell rang, I ran across the ring through a leaping left hook and knocked my opponent out in the first round. He was from Waianae, and I expected trouble, but the crowd actually cheered for me and all shook my hands as I left the ring back to our car to drive back to Palolo. I’ll never Forget the drive, the fight, and the experience of my first amateur boxing match, even though there were many more, I will never forget that one.