Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself as one of the three instructors who has taught P.E.21, Introduction to World Boxing, a two-credit course at Silliman University from June to October.
My wife and I and famed USA coach Joe Clough completed what is believed to be the first co-ed boxing class at the University. The three of us have extensive experience in Olympic-style amateur boxing.
Joe Clough was named three times Best Boxing Coach in USA in 1972, 1976, 1977. He was hired my Muhammad Ali to head coach position for his amateur boxing program at Santa Monica in California (1978-1980), USA PanAm Games coach 1983, Thailand National and Olympic Game Boxing Coach 1984, national head coach in Malaysia, coach of the 1986 Asian Games Philippines Boxing Team, coach clinician to many S.E. Asian countries.
Clough has had gold medalists at both the Munich and Montreal Olympic Games, where he had two of his own boxers on the USA Olympic team.
We all are committed to the safety of our youth who participate in our wonderful, however, difficult, disciplined sport of Olympic-style boxing.
Our course at Silliman covers the basic technical and mental skills needed to prepare students to train and learn how to properly box.
In addition, as college level students, they are taught the history of boxing with its recorded origins nearly 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, later in ancient Egypt, Greece, Crete, the Roman Empire, and the English revival of boxing starting in 1661 through the end of the bare-knuckle period in 1889.
Completing the course of study is learning the Technical & Competition Rules as set forth by the Association Internationale Boxe Amateur with more than 200 countries of the world being member federations.
In the Philippines, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines is the national federation governing all Olympic-style boxing in the country.
It is hoped that a students will have the academic knowledge to be able to pass the certification test given by ABAP at some time in their lives, and participate as officials in their local regions, or if abroad, join the national federation to participate in this Olympic sport.
The learning of the long history of the sport is an added benefit as it can help students engage in interesting conversations about a topic which has the interest of millions of people on a global scale. It may prove a valuable asset in making friends, or aiding finding employment.
Learning the physical technical skills needed to perform the sport has the benefit of acquiring information to be a skilled spectator with a keen eye as a non participant, but be able to live a more healthy lifestyle as well as appreciate boxers/athletes who excel in this sport.
ESPN a couple of years ago did a study to determine the best conditioned athletes on the planet.
My wife and I are both USA Boxing and ABAP officials and have run a successful boxing program at Yuma, Arizona, and helped form the La Colonia Youth Boxing Association (1990-1992) in Oxnard, California. The program produced USA’s youngest Olympic boxer Fernando Vargas1996 Olympics and Carlos Martinez Mexican Olympic team (1996). We have been certified USA boxing clinicians since 2003.